GAK Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst Bremen and Kunstverein Langenhagen will be represented with a joint stand at the Kunstfrühling 2011. As art associations, both institutions pursue similar programs: Both institutions not only present international, contemporary art – they are also places of production by providing funds for the creation of new, artistic works and by providing active curatorial support. A large number of the productions are developed in the context of local conditions. Both houses also see themselves as forums for the development of trend-setting positions in contemporary art. The focus is on young, partly not yet established, international artistic positions and the promotion of young artists. And finally, both houses offer differentiated mediation services for a broad public through a series of diverse accompanying events and negotiate the constantly changing ideas of art in dialogue with the public. Programmatically for this process-oriented approach, the stand is not equipped with artifacts. Rather, the artistic works offer insights into processes of creation, reception and impact of artistic work today.
Susanne Bollenhagen: Vier Beispiele aus dem Archiv gescheiterter Projekte, 2011
Susanne Bollenhagen (*1959) is a painter and as such a constant in the cultural scene of Bremen. Less well known are her texts as an essential part of her artistic work. For the Kunstfrühling she has left the realm of painted representation and entered that of spoken pictures. In four short story scenarios she develops ideas for a fictitious solo exhibition in the Gleishallen, which for various reasons cannot be realized: There is the desire to fit the entire Himalaya into the large-frame architecture, to show the world’s most famous stamp, the Blue Mauritius, to fly in an elephant or to present the altar retable of the Wiesenkirche in Soest (from 1260). As an audio work, Bollenhagen’s impressions give rise to inner images that provide a pleasurable insight into the creative process of an exhibition idea. In addition, they make themselves independent of their presentation location and draw attention to the architectural features of the Gleishalle in the midst of the exhibition events of the Kunstfrühling.
5533: Neighbors 1, 2008; Neighbors 2, 2009
5533 was opened in 2008 as an independent art space in Istanbul, which not only served as an exhibition space, but also had a library, an archive for artists’ projects and departments for new media and sound art. In an old shop in a business centre, the three operators Nancy Atakan, Volkan Aslan and Marcus Graf organised artist talks, video screenings, performances, workshops, discussion groups and readings: 5533 offered an interactive space for artistic practices and concepts. For the video work, 5533 asked their neighbours for their opinion of the Istanbul Biennial and their neighbourhood with a space for contemporary art.
Wolfgang Plöger: Interviews, ongoing works since 2004
In winter 2009/10 Künstlerhaus Bremen presented the first institutional solo exhibition of the Berlin-based artist Wolfgang Plöger (*1969). This was followed in February 2011 by the exhibition „Delay“ at Kunstverein Langenhagen. The text work Interviews is a fictitious dialogue. Plöger designs dialogue partners with whom he discusses his works: Art critics, exhibition organizers, journalists and artist friends appear as counterparts, refer to works, some of which have not yet been created, design them and discuss the pros and cons of their implementation, the possibilities of interpretation and their classification in the broad field of art. In addition to the possibility of playing through different arguments and giving shape to the voices in their own heads, the interviews are a winking self-questioning of the artist and a persiflage on the widespread format of the artist interview. The works shown are fake interviews with Willoughby Sharp (1936-2008), artist, curator, gallery owner and co-founder and editor of Avalanche Magazine and Henry Roberts, Wolfgang Plöger’s alter ego.
Inka Nowoitnick: Heimliche Übernahme, 2010
The work Heimliche Übernahme, presented at the Kunstfrühling, stands for Inka Nowoitnick’s (*1969) examination of contemporary everyday culture and art in public space. The Braunschweig artist’s wishing machine sneaks into commercialized public zones and exhibition events as an automaton. Accordingly, Heimliche Übernahme is placed in the immediate vicinity of the café during the Kunstfrühling. Modeled on electric sacrificial light stands, the automat opens up an imaginative and tangible space for appropriation by visitors: here (secret) wishes and sacrifices find the right place. The much conjured up interactivity does not stop at the push of a button in the case of Heimliche Übernahme.
5533
Susanne Bollenhagen
Inka Nowoitnick
Wolfgang Plöger
Participation of the GAK Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst at the 7. Bremer Kunstfrühling (7th Bremen Spring of Art)
Location: Gleishalle am Güterbahnhof, Bremen
In cooperation with Kunstverein Langenhagen
Events
Thu 05.05.141 7 pm
Opening