When the Present Begins
A conversation over two days
(Oct. 10./11.), proposed by Johann Jacobs Museum and Georg Schöllhammer, Felix Vogel
and Tristan Weddigen on the occasion of the exhibition „Gastspiel“ (curated by Damian
Christinger) at Museum Rietberg.
Synopsis
There was once a time when we talked about modern
art, but today the term sounds strangely outmoded.
If we remember correctly, this type of art grew out of two conflicting stimuli: the art that had gone before; and the society around
us. Today, on the other hand, we talk of contemporary art. In fact, there are whole museums
of contemporary art: it's almost
as if the process
of historic sedimentation had become frozen in an infinite
sense of the present. But is there a threshold
or a caesura, some form of recognition or forgetfulness between the one and the other,
between the modern
and the contemporary? Is this presence
really as global as it would have us believe? Despite its best intentions and failed attempts at export modernity
was essentially a western
game. And if so, what retroactive effects does globalization have on the former
centre that was once able to distinguish between itself and the other barbarians, between
applied and fine art, or even between
art and non-art? It seems clear that institutional edifices such as those museums
that schlep the ballast of the 19th century
around with them are in danger of either being crushed
by the burden or seeking
some form of emergency exit in populism and spectacle. But it seems equally clear that all the newly created institutional edifices, such as the biennales, are unable – at least
on the strength of their own efforts
– to generate
the critical terminology or new realities that would have more substance than their latest press release with its mix of curatorial matters and the interests of the promoters.
"When the Present Begins"
is
intended
to be
a
halfway informative exchange
of
ideas
about
the state of
the present,
of
the artistic
contemporary. This
exchange
is
taking place
in
two Zurich
museums, of
which one,
the
RietbergMuseum,
is exclusively given
over
to non-western
art. With its "Gastspiel"
exhibition, it
has
admitted contemporary art
for the
first time
to its
premises. The
Johann Jacobs Museum,
on
the other hand,
finds
the
things to which it
dedicates
its energies
along
global
trade routes. These may well be
art. But, then again,
they may not.
Speakers: Daisy Bisenieks, Angela Dimitrakaki, Adrienne
Edwards, Pauline
Y. Jao, Anke Hennig, Susanne Leeb, Royce Ng,
Chika Okeke-Agulu, Peter Osborne,
Marcelo Rezende, Moe Satt.
Moderators: Roger Buergel, Goerg
Schollhammer, Tristan Weddigen, Felix Vogel
Venues:
Museum
Reitberg – October 10, 10-16h
Johann Jacobs
Museum – October 11, 10-16h
Johann Jacobs Museum
Seefeldquai 17
8034 Zürich
Di 18-23h, Sa & So 11-17h
Eintritt Sfr. 7. - ab 26 Jahre
+41 (0) 44 388 61 90
office@johannjacobs.com
Museum Rietberg
Gablerstrasse 15
CH-8002 Zürich
T. +41 (0)44 415 31 31
F. +41 (0)44 415 31 32
museum.rietberg@zuerich.ch
