Descarcă revista în format PDF - idea

scenaJeremy DellerMemory Bucket, 2003, video still, courtesy: Jeremy Deller; Art:concept, Paris;Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York; The Modern Institute, Glasgow,credit: The Berlin BiennialHUMAN ATTRIBUTESAttila Tordai-S.Of Mice and Men, The 4th Berlin Biennial of Contemporary ArtOpening: March the 23rd 2006, curators: Maurizio Cattelan,Massimiliano Gioni, Ali SubotnickAtribute umaneAttila Tordai-S.Øoareci øi oameni, a patra Bienalæ de Artæ Contemporanæ de la Berlin, deschiderea:23 martie 2006, curatori: Maurizio Cattelan, Massimiliano Gioni, Ali SubotnickÎmprumutarea titlului romanului din 1937 al lui John Steinbeck, Øoareci øi oameni,nu a fost, probabil, un simplu capriciu al curatorilor celei de-a patra Bienale de laBerlin, ci, dimpotrivæ, organizatorii au dorit sæ semnaleze felul în care expoziflia seorganizeazæ în jurul unui limbaj care nu este unul teoretic, nici unul politic, ci, maicurînd – asemeni poeziei øi literaturii –, unul mai introvertit, mai izolat øi cu desævîrøireartistic. Curatorii subliniazæ: arta trebuie sæ ræmînæ întotdeauna, dintr-un anumitpunct de vedere, obscuræ, difuzæ, sæ-øi apere ambiguitatea. Conform acesteiconsideraflii, sînt expulzate atît idiomul socio-politic, cît øi pretenflia ca lucrærile sæ abordezeoraøul sau strada unde sînt expuse – întrucît, dupæ cum susflin ei, limbajul arteipoate reflecta doar asupra arhetipurilor. Cu toate acestea, nu doar Berlinul øi culturagermanæ, ci øi Auguststrasse, istoria øi arhitectura sa sînt prezente la evenimentîntr-o manieræ pregnantæ. Pe lîngæ spafliul tradiflional al bienalei, KunstWerke, expozifliaeste gæzduitæ de clædirea unei foste øcoli evreieøti pentru fete, de vechea salæde bal Clärchen, de cîteva apartamente închiriate, de vechiul cimitir Garrison dinBorrowing the title of John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel, Of Mice andMen, was probably not a whim on the part of the curators of thefourth Berlin Biennial, on the contrary, the might have wished to signalhow the exhibition – just like poetry and literature – is organisedaround a language which is neither a theoretical nor a political butrather a more introverted, a more isolated and utterly artistic one.The curators’ statement emphasizes: art needs to defend its polisemy,it should, in certain respect, remain always obscure, diffuseand difficult to decipher. Along this consideration not only the sociopoliticalidiom but also the demand for the works to deal with thecity, or with the street where they are exhibited is banished– because, as they say, the language of art may only properly reflecton archetypes. Nevertheless not only Berlin and the German culture,but Auguststrasse, its history and architecture are emphatically presentat the event. Except for the halls of the KunstWerke, the exhibitionis hosted by the building of the former Jewish School for Girls,the old-time Clärchen ballroom, a few rented dwellings, the OldGarrison Cemetery at the end of the street, but also by one of thoserented containers which are lately characteristic of the place. Otherorganically connected exhibition sites are the Gagosian Gallery,established by curators last year and at the disposal of artists andindependent curators ever since, and a column of the Zitty fortnightly,an extension of the biennial, featuring interviews taken fromexhibiting artists. Checkpoint Charley, a large-sized catalogue comprisingthe works of approximately 700 artists with whom the curatorscame in touch while preparing for the biennial is also part of theexhibition.Although through their choice of exhibition spaces the curators havemostly given up the use of the white cube and try to invade the sitesof private and social existence instead, this lends no solid ground forus to say they represent a generally progressive direction in art.In the aftermath of the Second World War a tradition developed forart to discuss events and things not on a merely representative level,but as active practice pertaining to everyday reality as well. Art’sstructure opened up thus, allowing not only actual everyday eventsbut the impact of the creation upon everyday life, the gifts and continuationof certain projects in time to leak into the work of art.Through questioning its own working practices, Of Mice and Mendenied or at least trimmed this very dimension of fine arts. Neverthelessthis happens not by avoiding interactive or socially sensitiveworks. While peeping into the tiniest concealed rooms of our existenceand offering insight into the obscured inner life of historicalman, the exhibition sheds no light at all, in fact it leaves man in hiscondition termed “sense of darkness” by curators and describedwith the use of concepts such as fear, loneliness, secluded feelings,ATTILA TORDAI-S. este redactor la IDEA artæ + societate øi coordonator al Studioului Protokoll.ATTILA TORDAI-S. is editor at IDEA arts + society, is running Protokoll Studio.91