NOTIONS OF THE ARTIST
November 11, 2009 – January 17, 2010
Steinernes Haus am Römerberg,
Markt 44, 60311 Frankfurt am Main,
Germany
NOTIONS OF THE ARTIST
November 11, 2009 – January 17, 2010
Opening: November 10, 2009, 8pm
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS: Marc Aschenbrenner, Wim Delvoye, Stephan Dillemuth, Michael Franz, Paule Hammer, Manuela Kasemir, Andreas Wegner.
The exhibition “Notions of the Artist” at the Frankfurter Kunstverein explores the social roles that artists play in the minds of the public. Seven contemporary artistic positions bring to light socio-cultural expectations with which artists are confronted. The “artist” can be understood as an object of projection. Whether he is regarded as a freethinker or an eccentric, as a genius or sceptic, as a teacher or mediator, as an inventor, entertainer, pop star, or as an entrepreneur depends on each particular context and cultural milieu. Nevertheless, these varying notions of what such a role can contain have one common denominator, which is that artists and their activities enjoy a unique status. Their exploits are considered to be manifestations of freedom of the subject through which society can assess its capacity for tolerance and self-critique. Simultaneously, there is a long artistic tradition in which social actions become direct material of artistic production.
“Notions of the Artist” displays diverse approaches of the way art and being an artist is thought to be. These perceptions can be addressed through ideas pertaining to the challenging of authorship, to self-exposure, self-questioning or appropriation. The exhibition presents works by Marc Aschenbrenner, Wim Delvoye, Stephan Dillemuth, Michael Franz, Paule Hammer, Manuela Kasemir and Andreas Wegner, which can all be read in the context of role awareness. They investigate the understanding of the artist in a critical or ironic manner, while further questioning its social framework.
SPONSOR: “Notions of the artist” is made possible by the kind support of the
Stiftung Polytechnische Gesellschaft Frankfurt am Main.
EXHIBITION CURATED BY: Holger Kube Ventura
INFORMATION: www.fkv.de
PRESS CONTACT: Julia Wittwer (Head of Press), Stefanie Spiegelhalder (Assistant), Frankfurter Kunstverein, Steinernes Haus am Römerberg, Markt 44, 60311 Frankfurt / Main, Germany
phone: +49.69.219314–30/-40, fax: +49.69.219314–11, e-mail: presse@fkv.de, www.fkv.de
(texts and images for download: www.fkv.de/en/press/ )
