german galleries / index cities / index galleries / index artists / index Berlin

Sparwasser Hq

Offensive für zeitgenössische Kunst und Kommunikation
Torstrasse 161
10115 Berlin Mitte
Telefon 0174-2577729
mail@sparwasserhq.de
Öffnungszeiten: Mi -Fr 16-19 Uhr, Sa 14-18 Uhr
www.sparwasserhq.de
aktuelle Ausstellung / current exhibition
vorausgegangene Ausstellung / previous exhibition

 

Opening Friday 26th January from 7 pm till 11 pm,
introducing the artist

Köken Ergun

 

Parrallel to the video "Bohemian Rapsody" by Ho Tzu Nyen now two videos by the artist Köken Ergun will be presented, namely "I, Soldier" (2005), digital video, 6 mins and "The Flag" (2006), digital video, 8 mins

Both artists are focusing on the extremes of disciplinary exercises in their own country.

While Ho Tzu Nyen's video is describing the court trial of young men, who will be executed by hanging - in a country not functioning on a democratic basis, Köken Ergun is showing two video documentaries: the first of a soldier screaming a nationalistic military poem on the top of his lungs and the second of children celebrating the Children's Day, by reciting aggressive patriotic poems in a stadium - this being as obligatory for primary school children as the military service is for young men.

The Istanbul/ Berlin based artist Köken Ergun: "Both of these works are an act of exorcism of my fears: I, Soldier (2005) about the fear of military discipline, and The Flag (2006) about the rising nationalism in the world, especially Europe."
Ergun about "I, Soldier": "His gestures; the energy that came out of his body, more than what he spoke about brought back all the fears I have been inhibiting in my own body; about the mandatory military service I haven't done yet, the past traumas resulting from this kind of male discipline at home or in school, and also the ever-present role of the military in the presumably civil democratic republic of Turkey. ..I have to admit that I am also amazed and somewhat fascinated by military culture, and I find its discipline beautiful and gentle in a male way.

This light minded attitude is mutual for both artists.

In an interview with November Paynter, Ergun answers the question about the role of the artist and his/her responsibilities, suggesting solutions for a troubled world or passively representing and mirroring a culture, in the search for its "own identity".

The Singapore artist Ho Tzu Nyen makes use of a music-historical pop song "The Bohemian Rhapsody", by building the entire scenery of the video built upon the song lyrics, in a complicated rhythm of montages from auditions. Ho Tzu Nyen: "The lead role - of the protagonist (the boy defendant) is the one role open to an audition system. On the one hand this conflates the theme of legal judgment (which briefly escalates into spiritual judgement with the Velasquez/Bacon Cardinal) and the judgment of Director in the process of audition."

To introduce the idea of the 'Bohemian' for a society that is build on strict social control, is new to Singapore. As an invention coming from the state authority, 'bar-top dance' and 'oral sex' (sex not meant for reproduction) is now allowed, with the purpose to stimulate cultural industries.

The Glowing Whistle Festival
From January 13. till end of the year 2007

By utilizing the exhibition space as a stage to accommodate moments of authenticity - or a scripted choreography of ideas - we suggest with the festival to look at different artistic positions working within performance and other 'staged' productions.

curated by Sparwasser HQ/ Lise Nellemann

 

 

Review in Blaue Augen (german) of Ho Tzu Nyens video work:
http://www.blaueaugen.net/2007/01/19/kopfkino-bei-sparwasser-hq-ho-tzu-nyens-"bohemian-rhapsody-project-2006"/#more-45

 

this text is send out by

The Glowing Whistle Festival
Ho Tzu Nyen, Köken Ergun and artists
continues through the entire year
Opening on January 26. from 7pm to 11pm

 

Sparwasser HQ outside Head Quarters in Torstrasse:

Futurama and re-inventing tradition?
with artists from Singapore-Budapest-Berlin
Collegium Hungaricum Berlin
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 9
10178 Berlin
www.hungaricum.de

 

 

Sparwasser HQ, Offensive for contemporary art and communication
presents

An event with
Francesca Grilli and Stefania Pedretti

Tuesday, February 6th from 7 pm to 11 pm
One evening event with a Performance and a Video-screening:
Francesca Grilli, Stefania Pedretti

Curated by Francesca Cogoni
Coordinator and Project-Assistant at Sparwasser HQ
Main room 8 pm - 9 pm (ca. 50´)
Performance by
?Alos (Stefania Pedretti)

Basement 7 pm - 11 pm
Video-screening by
Francesca Grilli

The video artist and performer Francesca Grilli (1978, Bologna, Italy) will present two of her latest works: Arriverà e ci coglierà di sorpresa, a video documentation of a performance presented at the International Prize for Performance (Centrale di Fies - Trento, Italy) in 2006, and 194.9 MHz (digital video, 2006, 5' 22). Both works are based on memories, which are elaborated and shaped by Francesca Grilli according to her own personal vision, in order to create an alteration of space and time, a sort of "transfiguration of the everyday life", permeated by the interest in displaying "situations where strength and fragility coexist", as the artist herself declares.

The musician and visual artist Stefania Pedretti (1976, Vigevano, Italy), member of the female performance group Allun and of the indie-noise band OVO, will appear as her alter-ego Signorina ?Alos and show her culinary-musical performance ?Alos - One Girl Cooking Music, in which the audience will be engaged in a multisensorial experience and fascinated by her versatile talents. Halfway between concert and theatre, the performance focuses on the idea of "stealing private moments and making them public".

The performance will be followed by a presentation of ?Alos's first video Sola! (2006), shot with the support of Francesca Grilli. Representing a more private version of the artist's public performance, the video Sola! comes after several years of friendship and artistic collaboration between Stefania Pedretti and Francesca Grilli, who since their first meeting in Milan have been involved in various common projects and exhibitions in Italian art galleries and cultural spaces.
press text and photos:
http://www.sparwasserhq.de/Index/HTMLfeb7/frances.htm

 

 

NEWS FROM THE PRESENT FEASTIVAL IN SPARWASSER HQ,

Köken Ergun's "the flag" awarded best short film at Rotterdam Film Festival
http://professionals.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/default.aspx

Ho Tzu Nyens video work reviewed in Blaue Augen (german):
http://www.blaueaugen.net/2007/01/19/kopfkino-bei-sparwasser-hq-ho-tzu-nyens-"bohemian-rhapsody-project-2006"/#more-45

Both videos can be seen till February 17. :

 

The Glowing Whistle Festival
From January 13. till end of the year 2007
Köken Ergun, Ho Tzu Nyen

By utilizing the exhibition space as a stage to accommodate moments of authenticity - or a scripted choreography of ideas - we suggest with the festival to look at different artistic positions working within performance and other 'staged' productions

 
german galleries: index_Berlin

 

german galleriesindex citiesindex galleriesindex artists