There is a new place in Zurich that shares a function of a boutique hotel and a contemporary art gallery. Seriously… there are always changing exhibition happenings and a curated artist program. Now I know where to hang out at art openings and to place friends that come to visit, at The Proposal!
Happy Anti Valentine!
“Anti Valentine Forever”
Film by Elena Habicher
3.5 min DVD, 2010
This video trailer and the art work were created specially for Anti Valentine Day party. No teddy bears were harmed in the making of this film.
Yesterday FEMEN protested again, again in Zurich
Yesterday Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN performed a topless protest against the Hockey world cup in 2014 in Belarus. Again WHY? WHY ZURICH? WHY STILL NECKED?
Marina Abramovic’s Necked Gala, an art performance or immoral act of Art Business?
Here is a letter by Yvonne Rainer to Jeffrey Deitch:
“After observing a rehearsal, I am writing to protest the “entertainment” about to be provided by Marina Abramović at the upcoming donor gala at the Museum of Contemporary Art where a number of young people’s live heads will be rotating as decorative centerpieces at diners’ tables and others—all women—will be required to lie perfectly still in the nude for over three hours under fake skeletons, also as centerpieces surrounded by diners.
On the face of it the above description might strike one as reminiscent of Salo, Pasolini’s controversial film of 1975 that dealt with sadism and sexual abuse of a group of adolescents at the hands of a bunch of postwar fascists. Though it is hard to watch, Pasolini’s film has a socially credible justification tied to the cause of anti-fascism. Abramović and MoCA have no such credibility—and I am speaking of this event itself, not of Abramović’s work in general—only a questionable personal rationale about the beauty of eye contact and the transcendence of artists’ suffering.
At the rehearsal the fifty heads—all young, beautiful, and mostly white—turning and bobbing out of holes as their bodies crouched beneath the otherwise empty tables, appeared touching and somewhat comic, but when I tried to envision 800 inebriated diners surrounding them, I had another impression. I myself have never been averse to occasional epatering of the bourgeoisie. However, I can’t help feeling that subjecting her performers to possible public humiliation and bodily injury from the three-hour endurance test at the hands of a bunch of frolicking donors is yet another example of the Museum’s callousness and greed and Ms Abramović’s obliviousness to differences in context and some of the implications of transposing her own powerful performances to the bodies of others. An exhibition is one thing—again, this is not a critique of Abramovic’s work in general—but titillation for wealthy donor/diners as a means of raising money is another.
Ms Abramović is so wedded to her original vision that she—and by extension, the Museum director and curators—doesn’t see the egregious associations for the performers, who, though willing, will be exploited nonetheless. Their cheerful voluntarism says something about the pervasive desperation and cynicism of the art world such that young people must become abject table ornaments and clichéd living symbols of mortality in order to assume a novitiate role in the temple of art.
This grotesque spectacle promises to be truly embarrassing. I and the undersigned wish to express our dismay that an institution that we have supported can stoop to such degrading methods of fund raising. Can other institutions be far behind? Must we re-name MoCA “MOUFR” or the Museum of Unsavory Fund Raising?
Sincerely,
Yvonne Rainer”
Today - CONFESSION AT THE PHOTO BOOTH GOLDBRUNNENPLATZ Zurich
Everyone has his own story… we all have sins and secrets, you two! Come to the confession - is an art project that captures people confessing themselves openly inside a photo booth. What people reveal at the photo booth will never be recorded in sound but captured as a moment of expression. The told story will be kept as an image series. Only the one who confesses and the photo booth will know the truth. We are delighted to invite you to participate in this project at a photo booth in Zurich.
Come and bring your friends! The booth, small apero and fun will be on us!
Today on Wednesday, 26. Oktober 2011, from 18.15 to 20.00 and tomorrow Thursday, 27. Oktober 2011, from 18.15 to 20.00 at Goldbrunnenstrasse 134, close to Goldbrunnenplatz, in Kreis 3, Zürich.
Photo Essay: What It’s Like Always Being The Third Wheel
Have you experience, you`ve been dating this girl for months, when apparently another guy has sent her an invitation to a brunch? Or, your best G-friend started to hang out with the guy you`ve been seeing? Or, her roommate started giving her much more attention? I hope it doesn`t look too much familiar to you.
7th Zurich Film Festival 22 September-2 October
This year again, the Zurich Film Festival is embracing the city! One of the most interesting and exciting events of the year starts today, but let`s have a look back, in 2009 the Zurich 1st prize went to the Russian film “Wolfy” that I will never forget, you`d never too. I very much recommend to see it.
Art Basel yesterday… nothing new… but here are my favorites…
This week, for one more time in the history of art commercial traditions, we`ll have to face ones again one of the most important events of the art business, Art Basel 42, today is the opening.
Expect my reports…
Folterpark for Amnesty International Zurich
FOLTERPARK
Tanjo Heim, Talaya Schmid, Elena Habicher, Karin Kurzmeyer
14. Mai Paradeplatz Zurich 8.00-22.00
Kunst im öffentlichen Raum bestehend aus sechs Skulpturen: waterboarding, riding an airplain, tigerbank, body folds, stress positions1, stress positions2 (Holz, Acryl, Lack; 2011).
Folterpark ist ein Kunstprojekt, das speziell von Tanjo Heim, Talaya Schmid, Elena Habicher, Karin Kurzmeyer zum 50jährigen Jubiläum Amnesty International Schweiz entwickelt und realisiert wurde. Hervorgegangen ist das Projekt aus einer Zusammenarbeit mit Amnesty International Zürich und dem BA Bildenden Kunst, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste.
How not to be a Jerk in an Art Museum
DOs
Smile (or smirk, for the too-cool): Unless you’re there on a second-grade field trip, we’ll assume you’re at the museum because you want to be. So what are you trying to prove with that death stare and perma-scowl?
Follow the rules: Duh. The golden rule for avoiding dart eyes from fellow patrons is to keep that cell phone off, toss the Starbucks cup, and avoid touching anything. We’d also extend the sentiment to hovering a hand over an artwork and yelling “I’m not touching it! I’m not touching it!”
Read up on artists, exhibits, and pieces: There is definitely a thing called subtlety, and if you’re going to name-drop every underground art blog and spout off masked Wikipedia facts, maybe you should skip on this one. But, if you can handle looking at background information as food for thought, read on, curious friend.
Keep to yourself: Museum-going can be a social experience beyond the posse you rolled up with, but there’s a time and a place. Avoid jumping into nearby conversations where you are almost always not welcome and double-avoid hanging out by one piece and making grand statements about the meaning of it all to no one in particular. Because that’s just weird.
DON’Ts
Act like a kid: It’s cool, we saw (500) Days of Summer, too. Thing is, you’re not JGL or Zooey, and this is not IKEA, so running around like impish love birds playing tag or giggling constantly is really not the way to go.
Jump into group tours: It may seem tempting to pop into a group tour of minivan moms or seniors on a field trip, especially when their leader asks them a question you think you know the answer to, but just don’t. In addition to being mildly creepy, it’s more than a little bit obnoxious, also.
Buy pointless souvenirs: That keychain may seem badass now, but it’s not really going to do anything to further the image of you as one of those cool, artsy, museum people, in both the ironic and non-ironic senses.
Make out: We know, that sculpture was super beautiful and your significant other does seem really stoked that you took him or her here. But you can wait to cash in that love-check later because, ew. No one wants to come expecting Picasso and catch an eyeful of your PDA instead.
Shush people: Nobody likes that guy. This extends to non-museums, too. If it’s really bothering you, nicely ask them to be quiet. If they still won’t shut up, then you can hit them with the saliva train.
Swiss art group Com&Com is looking for Russian parents whose child is going to be born in September or October 2011 and who would like to name him or her DADA. In return the baby will be sponsored with a sum of $10.000. Closing date for the first round is 31 July 2011. Only online applications will be accepted. Apply!
