091109: Galerie ArtPoint / KulturKontakt Austria: Here, There & In-between – 20th anniversary of KulturKontakt Austria

Galerie ArtPoint / KulturKontakt Austria: Here, There & In-between – 20th anniversary of KulturKontakt Austria Into the future at idle speed 1989 – the revolution in Central and Eastern Europe. Changes of epochs are not always liberating times. They introduce phases of insecurity, even chaos. Change of scene: the decision to found KulturKontakt Austria is made in the same year, demonstrating responsibility as a neighbouring country and offering foresight and spirit. Pragmatically, the most important model of cooperation is the European unification project. Cultural heritage shapes and secures the future. The simple, yet very expressive exhibition “Here, There & In-between – 20th anniversary of KulturKontakt Austria” goes back into a world in which the cartography of the Cold War was still intact. Large parts of Eurasia and the former Eastern Block countries still bear the communist star, but the political system was already running at idle speed. These historic changes of 1989 are presented in a humoristic, factual as well as in a sad way. In a video, an alcoholic demands: “we need a program”. The figures in a Play Mobil dollhouse represent the features of a civil society: “tolerance, society, family, and individual”. To which extent the allegories and symbols of Communism were depleted is clearly shown by KulturKontakt’s history. Individual people, projects and even country cooperations were supported by its consequent mediation of culture, art, and sponsoring. The exhibition is based on a conglomeration of documents, publications, artwork, presents and leftovers of the work of the past 20 years. The “Evil Girls” by Ana Nedelijkovic present the negative sides of young democratic systems with a tragic-funny honesty. The civil wars in former Yugoslavia, economic corruption or bloody, short-term insurrections constitute the background of the exhibition. The installation “Invitation to a piece of cake…”, showing 800 yellow and red pieces of cake by the Hungarian Ilona Nemeth, points to the most important reason for the continuance of KulturKontakt - a forgiving, inviting factor in the mediation and conciliation between the cultures, which has been the institution’s success factor for many years. By Alexander Lass Galerie ArtPoint / KulturKontakt Austria 1010 Vienna, Universitätsstrasse 5, until 27.11.09 http://www.kulturkontakt.or.at

Mehr Texte von translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville

091109

Galerie ArtPoint / KulturKontakt Austria
1010 Wien, Universitätsstraße 5
Tel: +43 / 1 / 523 87 65 - 14, Fax: +43 / 1 / 523 87 65 - 20
Email: ursula.hilmar@kulturkontakt.or.at
http://www.kulturkontakt.or.at
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