instant theory. Die M-Fotoserie des Merve Verlags

The 1980s saw the emergence of a boundless interest in philosophical, aesthetic and emancipatory theory. At this time, the West Berlin publisher Merve was a meeting place for intellectual and artistic exchange. This network was documented by the publishers Heidi Paris and Peter Gente in many spontaneous photographs.

The exhibition shows images from this archive—portraits of figures from the Berlin scene and the world of publishing, and of artists and experimental musicians. By retrospectively mapping their relationships and connections, the zeitgeist of the period and alternative modes of production are examined from today’s perspective. Contextualizing texts, video interviews and accompanying events deal with questions like: What are the vectors of alternative knowledge dissemination? What, in this context, are the functions of collectivity, seriality, chaos and friendship? What is the difference between a collective and a network, and what danger lies in their respective openness to neoliberal co-opting? Why have visibilities like that of women or of the work of translating in (independent) text production often been unequally distributed (something that continues to be the case) and which shifts in value are needed here? The exhibition pursues these questions and asserts their ongoing relevance in the present.

Saturday, March 14 , 7pm (de)
Screening and artist talk in the exhibition space
“Our Difference Is Now Ripe for Consumption. Ökonomien der Sichtbarkeit in der Kunst” with Vika Kirchenbauer

Saturday, March 28, 7pm (de)
Talk in the event space, 1st floor
“Rechte Verlagsnetzwerke, Arbeitsweisen und linke publizistische Interventionen” with Diedrich Diederichsen, Christiane Frohmann, Morten Paul

Sunday, March 29, 6pm (de)
Talk in the event space, 1st floor
“Music Circuits. Das Politische der Musik in den 80ern bis heute” with Elke Moltrecht, Cedrik Fermont

nGbK project group:
Elisa Barth, Felipe Campos, Dominique Guglieri, Yayla Höpfl, Kai Wisotzky