Aaron Flint Jamison
Michael Hopfner
Irina Korina
Alexej Koschkarow
Heather and Ivan Morison
Avigail Moss
Lucy Pawlak
Pamela Rosenkranz
Robert Stark
Charlie Tweed
Philippe Van Wolputte
Clementine Deliss
Oscar Tuazon
An Exhibition and Summer Academy
What happens when you dig a gallery into the earth in a field in Bern, a city
famous for its bear pits and medieval town centre? Early garden architecture,
graves, crypts, or hidden reserves come to mind; or perhaps an archaeological
excavation, revealing an unexpected mix of artifacts from different cultures. Is
this a modern day dumping ground or a restoration of Land Art? What connotations
are evoked by an action as simple as lowering art works into the earth?
dragged down into lowercase is the concept devised by curator Clémentine Deliss and
artist Oscar Tuazon for the 2008 Zentrum Paul Klee Summer Academy and Exhibition.
Working as a team, they have selected a faculty of leading artists and scholars to
reflect on the extended connotations of the underground. Eleven nominated artists
from Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, the UK, and the US,
will present new works and performances in the outdoor exhibition space designed by
Oscar Tuazon. This triangular excavated structure includes a 3m high wall, built
from local timber cut into boards by UK artists Heather and Ivan Morison. Exhibits
include diverse sculptures, some reaching 4,5 meter high, tent structures, sound
installation, invisible technological input, and references that highlight the
history of the city of Bern.
The international faculty of the Summer Academy will give public lectures, take part
in panel discussions, and host club nights. Erik Fredericksen, from Seattle, will
discuss the Ha-Ha, the concealed trench used in 18th century English garden design,
that is currently enjoying a revival in U.S. State security planning. Joe Scanlan
will present the concept of Classism. Martin Kimani, the conflict analyst from
Nairobi, will question the museological ramifications of recent genocide with
reference to mass graves and memorials. Christoph Büchel and Adrian Piper will
engage with the works of the artists from this year's Summer Academy. Curator
Giovanni Carmine will lead a two-day expedition into the mountains to visit the
historical Réduit and bunkers scattered in the Swiss countryside. Finally, Philippe
Pirotte will moderate a debate on the art market and the underground, held at the
Kunsthalle Bern.
Nominated Artists:
Aaron Flint Jamison (US), Michael Höpfner (A), Irina Korina (R), Alexej Koschkarow
(BY), Heather and Ivan Morison (UK), Avigail Moss (US), Lucy Pawlak (UK), Pamela
Rosenkranz (CH), Robert Stark (G), Charlie Tweed (UK), and Philippe Van Wolputte
(B).
Guest Faculty:
Christoph Büchel, Artist, Basel
Giovani Carmine, Curator and Director, Kunsthalle St. Gallen
Eric Fredericksen, Curator and Director, Westernbridge, Seattle
Martin Kimani, Conflict Analyst, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, New York
Adrian Piper, Artist, Berlin
Philippe Pirotte, Curator and Director, Kunsthalle Bern
Joe Scanlan, Artist, New York
Concept and Faculty Chair:
Clémentine Deliss, curator and publisher based in London and Edinburgh. Director of
Future Academy and Curator of Randolph Cliff (Edinburgh College of Art), and
Metronome (Paris, London)
Oscar Tuazon, artist from the US, based in Paris. Co-director of the gallery
castillo/corrales in Belleville, Paris
Public Events:
Monday 4th August, 11am: Press Conference, Zentrum Paul Klee
Tuesday 5th August, 6.30pm, Zentrum Paul Klee, Auditorium
Public Opening with Lecture by Clémentine Deliss and Oscar Tuazon
Wednesday 6th August, 6.30pm, Kunsthalle Bern
Panel Discussion on the art market and the underground with Philippe Pirotte,
Clémentine Deliss, Oscar Tuazon and Wolf von Weiler
Friday 8th August, 6.30pm, Zentrum Paul Klee, Auditorium
Lecture 'Classism' by Joe Scanlan
Saturday 9th August, 1-2pm, Parklands of the Zentrum Paul Klee
Presentation by Artists of the Summer Academy and performance by Charlie Tweed
Monday 11th August, 6pm, PROGR, visarte
Lecture 'The New Ha-Ha' by Eric Fredericksen
Monday 11th August, 10pm, Dampfzentrale
Party 'The Road' with DJs Oscar Tuazon and Philippe Pirotte
Tuesday 12th August, 6.30pm, PROGR, visarte
Lecture 'A Lowercase Condition of Humanity' by Martin Kimani
Wednesday 13th August, 6pm, Zentrum Paul Klee, Auditorium and Parklands
Zentrum Paul Klee
Monument im Fruchtland 3 Postfach - Bern