translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
080210: Albertina: Cars: Andy Warhol, Silvie Fleury, Robert Longo, Vincent Szarek
Albertina: Cars: Andy Warhol, Silvie Fleury, Robert Longo, Vincent Szarek
Boring PR-campaign
Expectations weren’t really high in the first place. What is the sense of an exhibit that devotes only four artistic positions to cars? Yet, with “Cars. Andy Warhol, Silvie Fleury, Robert Longo, Vincent Szarek” the Albertina offers us a theme-based exhibition of the worst kind. All of the works of this aberrant undertaking stem from the Daimler Art Collection – as if the Albertina itself does not own enough art to organize its own exhibitions.
The Bastei Hall, which has also hosted such magnificent projects as the Gunther Brus exhibit, now presents such an uncritical fetish. Andy Warhol’s “Cars”, once commissioned by the automobile concern, quickly tends to bore: the King of Pop obviously did not take his PR campaign for the car company very seriously – in view of how carelessly he created his work.
And the work by the other four artists – spread perfunctorily throughout the exhibit – make things even worse. Sylvie Fleury lets high-heeled sexy wenches stalk about amidst the cars, Robert Longo exaggerates the cars with icon-like pencil drawings and Vincent Szarek constructs smooth and glossy sculptures that remind of sleek cars.
But the real annoyance is not caused by the fact that there is absolutely no curatorial aspiration behind this show, but through the problematic relationship between a company collection and a public museum. The question that arises, is how large the funds are that the Albertina receives for such a marketing project – possibly an annex sponsored by Daimler or a few of Longo’s drawings? Or maybe even a permanent loan? Anyway, there would be quite a few opportunities to co-operate – and enough topics: the Fondazione Prada might be able to offer something for “The Handbag in the Context of 20th Century Art”, “The Airplane from Josef Beuys to Fischli/Weiss” could be a joint venture with Lufthansa, or “The Computer in Contemporary Art” could by set up by a not yet existent Apple Art Foundation.
By Nina Schedlmayer
Albertina
1010 Vienna, Albertinaplatz 1, until 16.05.10
http://www.albertina.at
Mehr Texte von translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville
080210
Albertina
1010 Wien, Albertinaplatz 1
Tel: +43 1 534 83 -0, Fax: +43 1 533 76 97
Email: info@albertina.at
http://www.albertina.at
Öffnungszeiten: Tägl. 10-18h, Mi 10-21 h
Albertina
1010 Wien, Albertinaplatz 1
Tel: +43 1 534 83 -0, Fax: +43 1 533 76 97
Email: info@albertina.at
http://www.albertina.at
Öffnungszeiten: Tägl. 10-18h, Mi 10-21 h