8 May – 17 July 2022
How (Not) to Fit In – Metaphern der Adoleszenz
James Gregory Atkinson, Trisha Baga, Bianca Baldi, Coven Berlin, Christa Joo Hyun D'Angelo, Ed Fornieles,
Harry Hachmeister, Aslı Özdemir, Phung-Tien Phan, Przemek Pyszczek, Yves Scherer, Britta Thie, Peter Wächtler and
Grace Weaver
Opening: 7 May 2022, 6 pm
Adolescence is commonly located in youth, but our complex present means that its typical dynamics – negotiations between the individual and society, between self-perception and perception of others, or between emancipation and integration – now last a lifetime. The rapid confrontation with different roles and the light-footed adaptation to constantly changing expectations no longer characterise only "apprenticeship and wandering years", but have become normative requirements that affect us all again and again. Nevertheless, all social groups are by no means equally free to determine their life paths. Media clichés and structural discrimination ensure that many people live and struggle with imposed role attributions and glass ceilings, or are exposed to stereotypical expectations.
The exhibition How (Not) to Fit In – Metaphors of Adolescence brings together artistic contributions that open up intersectional perspectives on adolescence, as well as on adolescence as a metaphor, for social dynamics.
In addition, common media narratives are questioned and experiences of discrimination and their overcoming are addressed. In the exhibition, the artistic examination of liberation from restrictive life plans, overcoming predefined paths and rejecting stereotypical role models does not lead to an egocentric self-reflection. Rather, it focuses on social structures and the personal confrontation with them. Through the diversity of artistic references, experiences can be experienced that also lie beyond traditional narratives, creating a multi-faceted, critical and differentiated panorama of growing up, puberty and adolescence.
Curator: Benedikt Johannes Seerieder
We thank the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung, the Kreissparkasse Esslingen-Nürtingen and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia for their support.
13 February - 18 May 2022
Opening: Sunday, 13 February, 11 am
Freezing Point - Kunst unter Null Grad Celsius
(Art Below Zero Degrees Celsius)
Valentino Biagio Berndt and Marlon Lanziner, Marja Helander, Anastasia Mityukova, Carsten Nicolai, Emma Stibbon, Fridolin Walcher, Jun Yang
The focus of the group exhibition is on aesthetic and fascinating aspects of the natural phenomena of ice and snow. Seven contemporary positions have been brought together regarding the theme.
The exhibition develops a thematic spectrum extending from the creation of a single, microscopically minute snow crystal past exploratory expeditions and the landscape of Romantic yearning all the way to the history of ice cream. Geographical points of reference include the Swiss Alps as well as the home region of the Sámi in northern Europe and in Greenland. Photography and drawing are represented in the exhibition along with installation and video. The aesthetic characteristics of natural phenomena receive their due, but the cliché-filled notions regarding the Eternal Ice are also put to question. The individual works make indirect or also quite specific reference to the issue of ice melting due to climate change.
A palpable sense is conveyed for the fragility inherent to landscapes of snow and ice and for the urgency of confronting changes in the climate. But also shimmering through the presentations are a sheer fascination with the substance itself, a search for the myth of ice and, not least of all, various instances of humor.
As a prelude to the group exhibition, a one cubic meter block of ice was already buried on November 24, 2020 in a first event entitled "The Ice of the Emperors of China" in Merkelpark.
The 1,000 litre block of ice was packed in a wooden crate, insulated with straw, sunk into the ground and covered with soil. In spring 2021, the ice block will be dug up again as part of a spring festival. The burial was accompanied by video documentation and reports on social media channels.
It is an event initiated by the Austrian-Chinese artist Jun Yang. It is based on the myth that Marco Polo had brought back to Europe the knowledge of how to make ice cream for consumption and how to preserve it until the summer.
Curator: Anka Wenzel
Kindly supported by:
