Ibon Aranberri is particularly concerned with the relationships between society, politics and nature. Of importance to the artist are signs and objects, in which the mechanisms of society and their power structures become clear. The solo exhibition Fruit of One's Labour consists of an installation and a series of lectures that the artist Natascha Sadr Haghighian developed specifically for the Frankfurter Kunstverein. With Need for Space the Romanian artist collective h.arta (Maria Crista, Anca Gyemant and Rodica Tache) presents a reflective look at their background since the group's founding in 2001. Curated by Chus Martinez.
curated by Chus Martínez
Ibon Aranberri: "Disorder"
The upcoming exhibition "Disorder" in the Frankfurter Kunstverein is the first large institutional solo presentation of the Basque artist Ibon Aranberri in Germany since his participation last year in documenta 12. Ibon Aranberri is particularly concerned with the relationships between society, politics and nature. Of importance to Aranberri are signs and objects, in which the mechanisms of society and their power structures become clear. Fundamental approaches to Aranberri's work are observation, background research, dialogue and documentation.
The body of work "Cave (Ir. T. n° 513)" (2003), which will be presented in a large-scale situation in the Frankfurter Kunstverein, documents a long journey through prehistoric caves of the Basque region in north of Spain until the dramatic closure of one specific habitat. The fieldwork that includes a trip to the site is just one part of the concept as a whole. A further more important aspect consists of the exact documentation of the place, the idea and the accomplishment of his project, as well as an incorporation of a permanent physical intervention into the relevant documentary and geographic notes, maps and archives. Aranberri works meticulously, in a comparable fashion to the methods of conceptual art. A noticeable part of his documentation is his formal description of how we treat nature, its representation and its inevitable connection with politics.
Besides this work, Aranberri also presents his sculptural installation "Floating Garden" (2004-2008). The work consists of series of modules made of concrete encrusted with broken San Pellegrino glass bottles. Although they are alienated from their conditions of daily usage they suggest the possibility to be utilised as prototypes for a fictional architecture and impart an idea of a poetic brutality in the mind of the observer.
The exhibition has been co-produced with the State Corporation for Spanish Cultural Action Abroad (SEACEX) and in collaboration with the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.
SPONSORS: This exhibition is co-produced and kindly supported by the State Corporation for Spanish Cultural Action Abroad (SEACEX) and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. The opening is kindly supported by the Spanish General Consulate of Spain in Frankfurt/Main.
Natascha Sadr Haghighian:
Fruit of One's Labour
The solo exhibition "Fruit of One's Labour" („Früchte der Arbeit") consists of an installation and a series of lectures that the artist Natascha Sadr Haghighian developed specifically for the Frankfurter Kunstverein. The starting point of the site-specific installation will be the examination of money and financial systems, for example by posing the abstract question of how the Euro was devised as a common value system during the course of the establishment of the European Monetary Union. In her works, the artist frequently considers systems of representation: These representations stand for certain values and abstract visual concepts, yet cannot be easily translated into conditions that can be experienced. In this sense, the projections onto the Euro will be presented in the light of almost 10 years practical experience.
A lectures series aims to unravel the complexities of the European Currency Union. "Fruit of One's Labour" was realised with the help of the Institut für Stadtgeschichte, Frankfurt and the Deutsche Bundesbank.
SPONSORS: The exhibition is kindly supported by sound for friends music and tesa.
10 Reasons to be a member
#17 H.Arta: Need for space
With "Need for Space" the Romanian artist collective h.arta (Maria Crista, Anca Gyemant and Rodica Tache) presents a reflective look at their background since the group's founding in 2001 at the 10 Reasons to be a Member-space of Frankfurter Kunstverein. The group will present documentary material as well as develop a new work that emphasizes their participatory and discourse-orientated method of operating in the context of the post-communist Romania. Until 2007 h.arta organized an exhibition space in Timisoara and beyond that realised several projects in different other contexts. Thematic priority of their artistic approach is feminism, education, and access to knowledge, the general public as well as a critical view to their immediate political and social surrounding.
Image: Ibon Aranberri
Press contact: Julia Wittwer, Corina Rombach
phone: +49.69.219314–30/-40, fax: +49.69.219314–11
e-mail: presse@fkv.de, http://www.fkv.de
Press preview: 23 September, 2008, 11 am
Opening: 23 September, 2008, 7 pm
Frankfurter Kunstverein
Steinernes Am Romerberg, Markt - Frankfurt
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 11 am–7 pm