Skulptur | Wartist

(Deutsch) Berlinale 2017: Filme mit Kriegsbezug

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Lecture “‘An artwork, liked by men’ – 100 Years of War as Mirrored by Art” (Berlin)

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Warning & Temptation – The Pictorial Worlds of War of Käthe Kollwitz and Kata Legrady (Berlin)

From 30 June until 9 November 2014, Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum in Berlin presents the exhibition Warning and Temptation – The Pictorial Worlds of War of Käthe Kollwitz and Kata Legrady. Two very different artists and their individual examination of war are contrasted with each other; on one hand, the pacifist works of Käthe Kollwitz that have not lost their impact and timelessness over many decades; and on the other hand, the direct and colourful works by Kata Legrady, born in 1974 in Hungary, whose contemporary approach addresses the propagandistic promises of war. In addition, the exhibition will present selected pupil’s works that mainly deal with Käthe Kollwitz as mother and grandmother, who has lost her son Peter during the First World War, and her grandson Peter during the Second World War. Continue reading

Schamal: Peace Bird (MHM Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow)

From 27 October 2012, Schamal – an artist originating from Iraq – presents his most recent Friedensvogel (peace bird) at Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr, Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow (German Air Force Museum, Berlin). As distant, but feasible vision, these peace birds are intended to take to his native country’s skies and “make the children marvel, pleased and question and inspire the adults to reflect on freedom and peace”.

“AKA Peace” Live Auction at Phillips de Pury & Company, London

After having been on show at ICA London (26-30 September 2012), the 24 works of “AKA Peace” will be auctioned on 4 October 2012 at 1930h at Phillips de Pury & Company in London versteigert. An illustrious group of contemporary artists (e.g. Mat Collishaw, Gavin Turk, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Sarah Lucas, Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley and Bran Symondson, initiated by the latter) dealt with the highly symbolic assault rifle AK-47 for the charity organisation Peace One Day.

Damien Hirst: Spin AK-47 for Peace One Day, 2012 (64 × 87.5 × 26.5 cm)

Fortresses: Inside and Outside – Young Art from Leipzig (Festung Rosenberg, Kronach)

The exhibition “Festungen: Innen und Außen” (Fortresses: Inside and Outside; 5 July to 31 October 2012) presents position from 22 artists on the meaning of fortresses in our time. It forms the artistic complementary exhibition to this year’s Bayern-Ausstellung (Bavaria Exhibition) “Festungen – Frankens Bollwerke” (Fortresses: Franconia’s Strongholds) at Festung Rosenberg in Kronach (17 May to 21 October 2012). Continue reading

Kata Legrady: Bombs & Candies – Dulce et decorum (Bazon Brock, Berlin)

From 26 January until 26 February 2012, Kata Legrady presents her exhibition “Bombs & Candies. dulce et decorum” at Bazon Brock’s recently opened location “Denkerei/Amt für Arbeit an unlösbaren Problemen” (Thinkery/Bureau for Working on Irresolvable Problems) in Berlin. Grenades, pistols and assault rifles (the iconographic AK-47, of course) have been decorated with candies and remind of Antonio Riello’s “Ladies Weapons” while taking the same track between aesthetics and destruction.

54th Biennale di Venzia: USA – Gloria (Allora & Calzadilla)

The Pavilion of the United States is – regardless of its Wartist-specific content – certainly one of the most compelling on the 54th Venice Biennale. Designed by the artist duo Allora & Calzadilla, “Gloria” consists of six sculptural installations, often including performance. The artists skilfully discuss social aspects, from the worship of money in capitalism about dealing with war and remembrance to freedom.

Track & Field (2011), Allora & Calzadilla (Photo: © 2011 Martin Bayer)

Don’t miss it: La Biennale di Venezia

Soon, THE art event of 2011 is about to begin: on 4 June, the 54th Biennale di Venezia, curated by Bice Curiger with this time’s title “ILLUMInazioni” will be opened. Again this year, critics will point out how very outdated national pavillons are in the time of globalisation. And again this year, the many national pavillons will demonstrate the different ways of (re)presenting art.

255.804 km² – Young Art from the Former Yugoslavia (Brot Kunsthalle, Vienna)

From 27 May until 23 June 2011, Hilger Brot-Kunsthalle in Vienna (Austria) presents “255,804 km² – Young Art from the Former Yugoslavia“, naming the size of the then-Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in its title. The exhibition assembles works from 30 artists who were born in this state that broke down in 1991-1992. This collapse led to several wars; most of their conflicts are still unresolved.