Teilen
141111: Galerie Grita Insam Art & Language
Galerie Grita Insam
Art & Language
28.09.11 - 19.11.11
In the labyrinth of representation
Encountering works by Art & Language is always a remarkable déjà-vu. The onlooker dives into a meta-language that analyzes and sometimes ironically upends the forms of exhibiting, presenting, and showing art, whereby Art & Language nearly exclusively refers to the European-American tradition of Modernism. At the same time, the British-American art group repeatedly uses spatial constructions similar to designer objects or furniture. Frequently they are covered with colored stripes positioned in a right angle towards each other and offering the basis for theoretical texts. Even those who started to subvert certain ingrained patterns of awareness have long reached the status of a trademark.
You may remember: In the 1970’s, the artist group, which first appeared in changing formations and later mainly with its main members Michael Baldwin and Mel Raamsden, dealt with questions pertaining to the production of art. Primarily because they strived to change the focus from classic non-verbal orientated forms of expression such as painting, sculpture or photography to theory and language; and, with their analytical investigations, they significantly contributed to the strengthening of conceptual art.
Besides temporary affiliations to Pop avant-garde groups such as „The Red Crayola“ oder „Pere Ubu“, Art & Language operated in the intersection of art, architecture and design. Just like works of art can serve as decorations in the real world, Art & Language question the ideological conditions that dominate in exhibition rooms of Modernism and literally make everything part of a dialogue. But in the meantime they are not only brands with brand recognition. Sometimes Art & Language are also amusing. At least in some of the works shown at the Galerie Grita Insam.
Today, their work leads to intimate situations and canvas is given a new purpose - it covers objects that appear like furniture. The canvases themselves – which remind of the geometry of the colored fields in Modernism – are references to former Art & Language works, while a hardly visible photograph of their studio – the “ideological room”, hangs in the background. Art & Language explain that behind the – lets call it installation – Offical Squares Again (2009 – 2010) – there is no other work. Instead, Malevich is paraphrased; in a showcase there are badges reminding of a dream that Malevich could have had of Stalin.
Every cruelty that art history has to offer is ridiculed with British humor. Art & Language are part of the historic avant-garde that - influenced by the so-called Linguistic Turn, but also by Wittgenstein and Post-Structuralism - questions conditions of our perception within the operating system of art. The Gallery Grita Insam who, over the past 40 years, brought important positions of genre-spanning contemporary art to Vienna, were devoted to Art & Language by. Now, the gallery that played such an active part in Vienna’s art history will close down for reasons of health.
By Roland Schöny
Galerie Grita Insam
1010 Vienna, An der Hülben 3
Tel: + 43 1 512 53 30
Fax: +43 1 512 5330 15
email: office@galeriegritainsam.at
http://www.galeriegritainsam.at
Opening hours: Tue – Fri 12 – 18 hours, Sat 11 – 16 hours
Mehr Texte von translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville
 |
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
141111
Galerie Grita Insam
1010 Wien, An der Hülben 3
Tel: + 43 1 512 53 30, Fax: +43 1 512 5330 15
Öffnungszeiten: geschlossen
Galerie Grita Insam
1010 Wien, An der Hülben 3
Tel: + 43 1 512 53 30, Fax: +43 1 512 5330 15
Öffnungszeiten: geschlossen
