Visible World
dal 15/6/2000 al 11/9/2000
Segnalato da
15/6/2000
Visible World
Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona MACBA, Barcelona
The work of Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss evokes a revision of our
perception of the reality of everyday. Consequently working in a broad artistic
language that contains a touch of both humour and drama, they reveal facets of
the commonplace in an extraordinary way. In our fast and ever-changing world,
their orchestrations of real life and real time events seem like an antidote, a
remedy to save what otherwise gets lost in the speed of modern life: attention for
the slow pace of the ordinary. Their narrative depictions unearth and analyse
elements of our daily lives in a striking and unnerving manner.
This exhibition at the MACBA, Visible world, evolves around the first presentation
of a new work by Peter Fischli and David Weiss: an elaboration of the artists’
continuous research into the notions of place and documentation in liaison with
the ordinary. The result is a personal account of the idea of the atlas or
encyclopaedia as the ultimate collection of facts on man’s life and knowledge.
Their version rather reads like an anti-atlas, because their focal points are opposite
of those of the generic atlas. This work questions the value of this kind of
collections in a world where speed and change are key.
For their presentation in Barcelona, Peter Fischli and David Weiss selected a
precise configuration of earlier works as a counterpart of the new work. Among
these works is a series of double-exposed photographs, highlighting the slow
processes of development in the lives of flowers, mushrooms and plants.
Furthermore, a selection of their hours long real time videoworks from the series
Reisevideos (Travelvideos) will be presented in the exhibition. These videos, shot
while driving and walking in and around their hometown Zurich, make us aware
of the particularity of every moment. The spectator is taken in by an unfulfilled
expectation, as the videos are too long to be watched entirely during the opening
hours of the museum. Yet, the onlooker is waiting to see if a special moment will
unfold before their eyes, or if they already missed it. However, there is no such
thing as ’missing the moment’ in the videos of Peter Fischli and David Weiss.
They make us look at reality like we have never looked at it. By hiding a large
amount of this reality in the length of the videos, the banality of daily culture
becomes mysterious, while mystery has faded to banality.
CURATORS: Roland Groenenboom and Manuel J. Borja-Villel.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a special publication, compiled by Peter Fischli and David Weiss.
MACBA
Plaça dels Àngels, 1 08001 Barcelona
Tel. (34) 934 120 810 Fax (34) 934 124 602
Museum hours:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Tuesday
Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guided visits: 6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. Sunday and holidays
Group visits: Daily (except Tuesday), 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.. by reservation only: 934
121 413, from Monday to Friday (except Tuesday) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Summer hours:
Daily: 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesday
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Prices
General admission: 775 Ptas.
Wednesday (Visistor’s Day): 375 Ptas.