Waffen | Wartist

Automatic, autonomous, out of control? The Future of Warfare (Ingolstadt, Germany)

From 14 to 16 June 2018, Stadttheater Ingolstadt (municipal theatre of Ingolstadt, Bavaria) organises the interdisciplinary “infotainment spectacle” Futurologischer Kongress (Futurological Congress) with various partners on the future of our society, with a strong focus on the possible results of the so-called fourth industrial revolution. The title, of course, refers to Stanisław Lem’s eponymous dystopia. In this respect, the Bavarian Army Museum hosts the panel discussion “Automatic, autonomous, out of control? The Future of Warfare”. Experts from politics, science, the defence industry and the military will discuss unmanned military systems, their possibilities and limits, and how we should deal with them. Continue reading “Automatic, autonomous, out of control? The Future of Warfare (Ingolstadt, Germany)”

(Deutsch) Buchvorstellung: The Bavarian Army Museum von Carlo Paggiarino

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Berlinale 2016: Films that address War

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

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

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

grounded/airborne (Kleine Galerie, Torgau)

Usually, wartist.org contains articles about exhibitions of other artists, movies, galleries and museums. Today, however, we have the pleasure to write on our own issues: ausgebildete Photographer Martin Bayer (educated at Lette-Verein Berlin) presents from 28 February to 10 April 2014 his exhibition grounded/airborne at Kleine Galerie (Torgauer Kunst- und Kulturverein “Johann Kentmann” e.V.). The photos from his series grounded show details of retired military planes; they will be historically commented by some aerial pictures from the First World War. Grounded addresses the medial and artistic aestheticisation of weapons, while both the clear assignment of the pictured objects to historic events and the alleged simple classification into “friend” and “enemy” become desintegrated.

grounded #4, C-print on alu-dibond, 50x75 cm (© 2012 Martin Bayer)

Martin Bayer: grounded

Photographer Martin Bayer (educated at Lette-Verein Berlin) addresses in his series grounded¹ of decommissioned military aircraft the perception of history and war, but also the aestheticisation of weapons. Detached from their historic context, the planes appear as objects or even sculptural. Neither the country of provenance, nor their operating period are discernible: was it an “attacker” or a “defender”, regarding our own classifications? Each war produces history and its own myths – grounded puts them in the background, making room for the viewers’ own associations.

crashed, having a grounding (aircraft, pilot), fixed, earthed, but also sensible, justified ↩

Lisa Glauer: “…later, she will build nuclear vessels” (OKK Berlin)

From 22 February until 3 March 2013, Berlin-based gallery Organ kritischer Kunst (OKK, organ of critical arts) presents the exhibition “…später baut sie Atomschiffe” (…later, she will build nuclear vessels” with works by Lisa Glauer. The exhibition will be opened with the performance “experimental production of evidence by visualisation”. Lisa Glauer uses breast milk as material for her works. This project is part of her PhD dissertation on Art and Design at Bauhaus University Weimar.

2 + 2: Phoenix Chemnitz – A Peace Day Exhibition (Chemnitzer Künstlerbund)

On 12 February 2013, the exhibition “2 + 2: Phoenix Chemnitz” will open on the premises of Chemnitzer Künstlerbund (association of Chemnitz’s artists). In this established format, two local and two external artists meet to address a specific subject. This time, the Chemnitz Friedenstag (Chemnitz Peace Day) is this issue: on 5 March 1945, Chemnitz was severly damaged – more than 2,100 people died in this bombing. How can this central event be remembered? What has contemporary art to say on war? Peggy Albrecht (* 1974) and Rose-Marie Güttler (* 1978) are the two local artists in this show, while Jan Bejšovec (* 1975, Konfliktstoff) and Martin Bayer (* 1971, Wartist) from Berlin provide external perspectives. 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)