Mai-Thu Perret
The Adding Machine
14 May–31 July 2011
Aargauerplatz
CH–5001 Aarau
Switzerland
In recent years Mai-Thu Perret (b. 1976) has drawn considerable attention in Europe and the U.S. for her ambitious, multidisciplinary artistic work, which comprises sculpture, installation, painting, video, performance, and text-based pieces with a wide underlying frame of cultural and art historical references. The Geneva-based artist is particularly interested in 20th century avant-garde movements and Utopian concepts of life.
The solo exhibition at the Aargauer Kunsthaus titled The Adding Machine highlights the multifaceted approach of Mai-Thu Perret’s artistic practice, presenting numerous works that were created specifically for this show, as well as some older works. The artist’s wish that the individual works in the exhibition be perceived as connected rather than isolated is already indicated in the exhibition title, The Adding Machine, a reference to the “cut-up” technique of American writer William S. Burroughs. Burroughs used to cut up the pages of his manuscripts and subsequently rearrange them at will according to the random principle. The result is an associative narrative structure similar to the one underlying Mai-Thu Perret’s exhibition: their juxtaposition opens up new cross-references and meanings between the individual works.
Curator
Madeleine Schuppli, Director, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau
Catalogue
Published in conjunction with the exhibition, the catalogue Mai-Thu Peret – The Adding Machine includes essays by Madeleine Schuppli and Diedrich Diederichsen, as well as an exclusive vinyl record produced by Mai-Thu Perret in collaboration with singer Tamara Barnett-Herrin. Edited by Madeleine Schuppli and the Aargauer Kunsthaus, 100 pp.
ISBN: 978-3905004-35-9. For members of the Aargauischer Kunstverein: CHF 42.- Available as of 12 June 2011 at the Aargauer Kunsthaus.
Artist’s Edition
To mark the exhibition, a limited artist’s edition by Mai-Thu Perret will
be published exclusively for the Aargauer Kunsthaus:
Mai-Thu Perret, Untitled, 2011. Neon, Ø 14 cm. Edition Aargauischer Kunstverein. Edition of 25 + 5 artist proofs, numbered and signed.
Exhibition opening
Friday, 13 May 2011, 6 pm
Sunday brunch with a performance, book presentation & and artist’s talk
(in English)
Whitsunday, 12 June 2011, starting at 11 am
12 pm Lecture Performance by Mai-Thu Perret with chants by Tamara Barnett-Herrin
13.15 pm Book presentation and artist’s talk with Mai-Thu Perret and Madeleine Schuppli, Director and Curator, Aargauer Kunsthaus
11 am–2 pm Brunch at the Kunsthaus café
Registration requested by June 7 at Aargauer Kunsthaus, Doris Huber,
E-Mail: doris.huber@ag.ch or +41 (0)62 835 23 39
In collaboration with Galerie Francesca Pia, Zurich, and Timothy Taylor Gallery, London
Important event in Basel:
Art Salon | Hall 1, Auditorium
Artist Talk | Mai-Thu Perret (in English)
Thursday, 16 June 2011, 6–6.30 pm
Mai-Thu Perret, Artist, Geneva with Madeleine Schuppli, Director, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau
Opening Hours
Tue–Sun 10 am–5 pm, Thu 10 am–8 pm
Holiday Opening Hours
Open daily from 10 am until 5 pm:
Labour Day / May Day, 1 May, Ascension Day, 2 June, Pentecost /
Whitsun, 12 June, Whit Monday, 13 June, Eve of Maienzug, 30 June,
Maienzug, 1 July, 2011.
Closed Monday, 1 August.
*Image above:
Courtesy the Artist and Timothy Taylor Gallery, London.
