Franz Ackermann
dal 19/7/2005 al 23/10/2005
Segnalato da
19/7/2005
Franz Ackermann
Irish Museum of Modern Art - IMMA, Dublin
The artist comprises a series of large brightly coloured paintings and installations which reflect the changing nature of today's increasingly globalised society. Two of the works have been designed especially for the spaces at IMMA. The exhibition also includes smaller works on paper in which the artist has been creating since 1991, reproducing the cities and landscapes he visits in the form of a topographic memory.
The first solo exhibition in Ireland of the internationally acclaimed German artist
Franz Ackermann opens to the public at the Irish Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday
20 July 2005. Franz Ackermann comprises a series of large brightly coloured
paintings and installations which reflect the changing nature of today's
increasingly globalised society. Two of the works have been designed especially for
the spaces at IMMA. The exhibition also includes smaller works on paper in which the
artist has been creating since 1991, reproducing the cities and landscapes he visits
in the form of a topographic memory.
Ackermann's work derives from his wide-ranging travels from Tokyo, Manila, Hanoi and
Bangkok to Rome and São Paolo. His experiences within this world are that of a
tourist, rather than a traveller, and his work reflects this dizzying sensory
overload. Ackermann's large installation paintings depict urban dynamics in the
form of organic energy centres via documentation, postcards and newspapers. His
works read as a geographical metaphor for the ways in which travel and digital
communication can be substituted for each other in a world which is becoming faster
and easier to navigate every day. For this exhibition Ackermann explores the
conflict between fears and freedoms inherent in 21st-century travel and tourism and
what precisely it means to participate in the global tourist economy.
Faceland III was first shown as part of the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003.
Ritualistically, as with all his works, Ackermann spent time in the weeks leading up
to the exhibition walking the well-trodden tourist paths of Venice, actively
scanning the environment and morphing into the identity of the tourist. Faceland
III is characterized by interconnecting works, which look like a hallucinatory urban
planning system, there is a distinct centre around which are built interconnected
satellite systems that suggest a fragmented sense of detail and other scenes from
the landscape which contain obvious sites of tourist interest in Venice. As part of
the installation one area is illuminated by a sphere of light bulbs, that look like
a builders demolition ball, ready to demolish the environment. It also could be
seen as an advertising sign for Ackermann, as we see a graphic black and white
outline of his face, with the obligatory tourist's RayBans.
In Travelantitravel, 2004, Ackermann explores the dialogue between tourism-terrorism
and the emotions associated with theses issues. Berlin is the subject of this work,
where Ackermann is resident and returns to from his travels. There is a violent
beauty to this work as we see the imposing prominent steel cages which house most of
the paintings. A steel and glass structure reminiscent of an interrogation area
adds a sense of surveillance to the installation, which could allude to Berlin's
past and present histories. Guns, a sleeping bag and structural carnage are also
included in the installation and are hung in a way that forces us to confront the
relationship between violence, mobility and tourism. A prominent theme in
Ackermann's work is how easily travel can be disrupted, in the work we see a network
of passages blocked by iron railings. These architectural forms suggest the
numerous physical, social, political, economic and ethnic upheavals that have
characterized urban centres over the past decade.
The Landing Room and The Staying Room, both 2005, are based on Ackermann's
relationship to Dublin from the invitation to show his work at IMMA and an unplanned
visit to Dublin during an emergency airplane landing due to a bomb warning. As he
took to the role of tourist in Dublin, from viewing the Spire to walking down
Grafton Street and visiting Temple Bar, Ackermann considered the socio-economical
and political effect of the Celtic Tiger. The dynamics of contemporary tourism
where affected by the Celtic Tiger and many believe the culture of Ireland has been
eroded by growing consumerism and the acceptance of American capitalist ideals.
Cities like Dublin are organic breathing entities to Ackermann and as they expand he
captures the changing urbanization and profound social values reflecting the
shifting nature of attitudes to cities in an ever more globalised society.
Franz Ackermann has exhibited internationally including Gavin Brown's Enterprise,
New York; the Castello di Rivoli, Turin; White Cube, London; Portikus, Frankfurt and
the Galerie neugerriemschneider, Berlin. Recent group shows have included the São
Paulo Biennial, 2002, Casino at SMAK, Gent, 2002, and Painting at the Edge of the
World, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 2001.
The exhibition is curated by Rachael Thomas, Senior Curator: Head of Exhibitions, IMMA.
The exhibition is supported by the Goethe Institute, Dublin.
A publication with essays by CaoimhÃn Mac Giolla Léith, curator and art critic,
Daniel Birnbaum, Director of Portikus, Frankfurt, and Rachael Thomas accompanies the
exhibition. (Price EUR25.00).
Image: Franz Ackermann, faceland III (you better keep the light on), 2002, aluminium, light bulb, light, metal, ca ø 280 cm, Installation view: Kunsthalle Nümberg, 2003
Irish Museum of Modern Art
Royal Hospital Military Road Kilmainham 8
Dublin
Admission is free.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm
except Wednesday 10.30am - 5.30pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays 12 noon - 5.30pm
Mondays Closed