Arranged and produced by Stephan Klee and the frontviews collective
Opening
Wed 9 May 7 - 10 pm
9 May - 6 Jun 2018
Thu 12 – 15 pm
Sat 13 – 17 pm
frontviews temporary at
Daily Lazy Projects Athens
Sina 6 & Vissarionos 9 (entrance)
Since six years the artist-collective frontviews returns from Berlin to make exhibitions with European Artists in Athens strongly supported by the local Athenian Community. During this period of time the contrasting juxtaposition ofATHENS – BERLIN turned out to be the main discursive model for the bipolar concentration of problems haunting the construct of Europe nowadays. Introducing various double binds of comparisons like Poor South – Wealthy North, Common Needs – Austerity, State Property – Private Ownership or Democracy – Neoliberal Elite to the controversy helped not only to depict this complex loop of emergency, but also increased prejudices, awarded role models and shaped clichés. A distant northern view from a felt superior position dominated the narratives and also the actions of the political elite.
But especially for cultural debates the art scene of Athens succeeded to establish a shifted, self-confident perspective on their very own situation and to burst the determination of a northern view. This new self- awareness, may be condensed in the best way by the slogan: South as a State of Mind.In 2017 this progress culminated in the Double DOCUMENTA, an extra ordinary attempt to overcome the antagonistic situation through an open, dialectic comparison and to practise a decentralized solidarity. The assumed good intentions of the curators board became clear for instance by the fact, that they incorporated especially the issues of even this relevant, new art magazine South as a State of Mind into the official publications of DOCUMENTA. But also the basic structural problems of this cultural outsourcing were evident in this example.
Now in 2018, feeling as if quietness may have entered the relations, here we are again to reflect on the actual situation between the two art scenes of the capitals. What are the political correlations between the states and how do they affect the life of artist in one or the other country? What are the dominating themes in the cities nowadays? In other words: Are there links between the artistic production of the scenes? Or are we missing too many links? Are we searching for connections, maybe now more than ever before? Could it be, that the superior double bind- narrative has lost importance and even does not affect the cultural class at all? Are we indeed more connected than we think by living an artist life more or less excluded from the promises of prosperity, that the neoliberal class enforces, no matter if south or north?
Frontviews Berlin follows these questions with »Missing Links« hosted be Daily Lazy in Athens. And frontviews will host a show by Daily Lazy later this year in Berlin. By bringing together some works and their originators, we try to maintain and refresh our bonds face to face.
Stephan Klee
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related links:
Carsten Becker
Emanuel Bernstone
Mit Borrás
Thorsten Kasper
Leon Manoloudakis
Natasha Papadopoulou
Sofia Touboura
Iris Touliatou
Michaela Zimmer