Remote Memories
Steven Claydon, Thea Djordjadze, Hansjörg Dobliar, David Noonan, Bernd Ribbeck
May 16 to July 18, 2009
Curator: Zdenek Felix
In recent years a reawakening of interest in cultural historical phenomena has been observed within the contemporary European art scene. In Germany and Great Britain especially there have emerged several artists whose works—paintings, sculptures, photographs, and videos—update certain aspects of history, art history, literature, and films, not only from the classic modern era, but other periods, as well. An exhibition at London’s Tate Modern in 2007, titled The Rings of Saturn, gathered works by a number of young English and German artists who have approached cultural memory from a melancholic, romantic perspective, much in the same way that is expressed in W.G. Sebald’s frequently discussed novel of the same name. The group exhibition Remote Memories at KAI 10 | ARTHENA FOUNDATION in Düsseldorf traces the recent efforts made in today’s new art to deepen cultural memory. In the works by the artists selected it can be seen that history and memory are seldom based on direct experience, but tend to be mediated through various means. In this process, the boundaries between historically authenticated quotation and the fictionalization and associative appropriation of historical material are fluid. Besides a contemporary exploration of the themes of cultural history, the exhibition also reflects on the specific history of certain media, especially in twentieth-century art.
The selection is concentrated on artists from Germany and England. In Great Britain’s art scene, the choice fell on two London artists, Steven Claydon (born 1969) and David Noonan (born 1969), while Thea Djordjadze (born 1971 in Tiflis, Georgia) and Bernd Ribbeck (born 1974), both from Berlin, as well as Hansjörg Dobliar (born 1970) from Munich, will represent Germany.
Sponsored by:
Exhibitions views
Accompanying program
, 7:30 pm
Lecture
Veit Loers, art historian and curator Heaven and Hell – The paintings of Hansjörg Dobliar and Bernd Ribbeck.
, 7 pm
Panel discussion with
Hansjörg Dobliar, Bernd Ribbeck, Zdenek Felix, curator of the exhibition and Daniela Stöppel, art historian, research assistant in the department for Art History, Munich University
, 10 pm
Film presentation
Remote Memories film presentation
Uecker Square, Media Harbour, Düsseldorf
In collaboration with hafenlichtspiele,KAI 10 | Raum für Kunst has organized a film screening, to take place on the Ueckerplatz, at the Mediaharbor in Düsseldorf. Starting with four short films by avant-garde filmmakers, Hans Richter’s animated geometrical shapes and Walter Ruttman’s “musical paintings” - all of which mark the beginning of abstract experimental film in Germany - the presentation will move on to the feature film Alphaville. These filmmakers were not only sources of inspiration for ensuing generations of directors, but also for visual artists like Bernd Ribbeck. With its inversions of black-and-white, Alphaville by Jean-Luc Godard influenced David Noonan’s work.
Program
Rhythmus 21
Germany 1921 - 3 min - director: Hans Richter
Opus II
Germany 1921 - 2 min - director: Walter Ruttmann - music: Ludger Brümmer
Opus III
Germany 1923 - 4 min - director: Walter Ruttmann - music: Hanns Eisler
Opus IV
Germany 1925 - 4 min - director: Walter Ruttmann - music: Sven-Ingo Koch
Alphaville
France/Italy 1965 - 99 min - director: Jean-Luc Godard - actors: Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff, Howard Vernon, Laszlo Szabo, Jean-Louis Comolli, Jean-Andre Fieschi, Michael Delahaye