21 September 2016
Uncertain States. Artistic Strategies in States of Emergency
Exhibition and Events, 15 October 2016 – 15 January 2017
Invitation to the Press Preview
Thursday, 13 October 2016, 11 am Exhibition halls open from 10 am
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin
Registration for the Press Conference requested: Tel. 030 200 57-1514 or email presse@adk.de
With
Jeanine Meerapfel, President of the Akademie der Künste
Werner Heegewaldt, Director of the Archive, Akademie der Künste
Johannes Odenthal, Programme Director, Akademie der Künste
Nasan Tur, Artist, FLAX Foreign Local Artistic Xchange
With its major programme “Uncertain States. Artistic Strategies in States of Emergency”, the Akademie der Künste is placing an artistic focus on the current political, social and individual changes and insecurities. This three-month programme, opening on 14 October in the Akademie der Künste in Hanseatenweg, is structured around the three basic elements of an “Experiential Space of Things” from the archives of the Akademie, an exhibition of contemporary art, and a wide range of diverse events.
In the exhibition, the historic experiences of flight and exile between 1933 and 1945 provide the background for critically engaging with current states of emergency. Approximately 50 selected objects and documents from the Akademie der Künste archives of Walter Benjamin, Bertolt Brecht, Hanns Eisler, Valeska Gert, Lea Grundig, Lilian Harvey, Heinrich Mann, Bruno Taut, Kurt Tucholsky and others are juxtaposed with and related to contemporary art works reflecting today’s experiences of crises and flight, instability, violence and loss. The works on show are by 32 artists including Francis Alÿs, Reza Aramesh, Ayşe Erkmen, William Forsythe, Mona Hatoum, Isaac Julien, Sigalit Landau, Marwan Kassab-Bachi, Maziar Moradi, Graciela Sacco, Nasan Tur, Micha Ullman and Arkadi Zaides.
The exhibition is flanked by a series of events showcasing film, theatre, literature, music and architecture, as well as scholarly discussions and reflection.
Artists, scholars, and activists explore and debate a range of topics such as migration, exile, asylum policies, enemy images, right-wing populism and racism or the future of democracy.
The speakers in the “Discourses” lecture series include Nikita Dhawan, Natasha A. Kelly, Grada Kilomba, Claus Leggewie, Michael Lüders, Katharina Lumpp, Norman Manea, Chantal Mouffe, Armin Nassehi, Jochen Oltmer, Gesine Schwan and Rita Süssmuth. “Uncertain States” becomes a thinking and action space in which artistic positions are linked to current discourses.
More details: www.adk.de/uncertain-states
An Akademie der Künste programme
Funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes
With the kind support of: Society of Friends of the Akademie der Künste. In cooperation with: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (“Discourses” lecture series) as well as Affective Societies, FU Berlin; FLAX Foreign Local Artistic Xchange; Goethe-Institut I Damaskus im Exil; Polis 180
Uncertain States. Artistic Strategies in States of Emergency
Exhibition and Events
15 October 2016 – 15 January 2017
Exhibition Opening Friday 14 October 2016, 7 pm, Free admission
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin, Tel. 030 200 57-2000
Press material available at www.adk.de/en/press/press-material.htm