Antje Blumenstein
dal 23/11/2006 al 5/1/2007
Segnalato da
23/11/2006
Antje Blumenstein
Galerie Martin Mertens, Berlin
The show takes its title from the sculpture "Heaven and Hell" - a work that obstructs the entrance to the gallery while simultaneously adjoining the exterior and interior gallery spaces. The work is a direct reference to a well-known folded-paper children’s game popular not only in Germany and in Asia.
Himmel und Holle
This exhibition takes its title from the sculpture Heaven and Hell- a
work that obstructs the entrance to the gallery while simultaneously
adjoining the exterior and interior gallery spaces. The work is a direct
reference to a well-known folded-paper children’s game popular not only
in Germany but also in Asia and the english speaking world. Numbers,
sayings or words of wisdom are written on the small folds of papers and
revealed or hidden to the player according to chance.
The german title of this popular game is Himmel und Holle- heaven and
hell. This title makes direct reference to christian beliefs and it’s
use here is indicative of the christian interpretation of these two
opposing terms; heaven and hell, the blessed and the damned. Regardless
of one’s decisions it is he who controls the game who sets terms.
It is up to the visitor to decide which space he sees as the interior
and which as the exterior- that is to say, which space he sees as heaven
and which as hell. Furthermore, he can then enter the gallery through
the back entrance thereby changing his perspective again.
With this latest exhibition Blumenstein expands upon her work of the
last few years as she continues her exploration into cliches about good
and evil, offender and victim, hero and looser. The children’s game
motif also links this exhibition to Blumensteins exhibition „neues
Wachstum“ in the Galerie Rekord. This exhibition took place in 2005 and
focused around the theme of collective and private memory.
Opening: Friday, 24. Nov. 2006, 6 pm
Galerie Martin Mertens
Brunnenstrabe 162 - Berlin