Press Release / 22 May 2013

DISABLED BY NORMALITY 23 May – 16 September 2013

This summer‘s largest exhibition at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art attempts to reveal and problematize the terms “normality” and “disability” in terms of how our notions of them influence the lives of each of us - they either limit us, or on the contrary give us an advantage. The exhibition presents over thirty local and international artists who challenge through their work the established notions of normality and disability.

What is a “disability”? And what is “normal”? This exhibition, which came about in cooperation with the Jedlička Institute and Schools on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of their founding, examines these terms and shows how normality and the command to “be normal” limit or on the contrary make our own life easier, and how they impact the lives of people around us. It reveals the extent to which notions of normality and disability are intertwined. Our conviction of what is “normal” leads us to define otherness, which results in the creation of minorities and their eventual discrimination or social exclusion. Notions of disability and normality thus influence the functioning of modern democratic society.

These notions do not exist outside of history, and thus the exhibition also demonstrates the historical dimension of the terms “disability” and “normality” and their changing institutional form. The one- hundred-year existence of the Jedlička Institute and Schools and cooperation with them have made it possible to demonstrate the linkage between the historical forms of both key terms with modern institutional practice. The main part of the exhibition is made up of work of contemporary artists who through their work problematize our view of a “normal” and “functional” body.

The exhibition consists of seven thematic sections. The introductory section, entitled Disability Stereotypes, presents the work of artists who deal with cultural imagination from the perspective of disability stereotypes (Ju Gosling, Bethany Stevens, Jana Sterbak, The WPA Collective, Pauline Boudry & Renate Lorenz). The most common stereotypes are those that show “disability” as monstrosity, incompleteness, tragedy and comedy, the subject of compassion, but also as a source of inspiration. The WPA Collective: Code of the Freaks

The next three sections of the exhibition are devoted to the historical and institutional roots of the term “disability”. The Medicalization of Otherness section deals with how the development of science, especially anthropology, medicine and pedagogy, played a part in creating notions of disability. The result of modern human sciences, which promised better insight into the human condition, included the promotion of notions of normality and subsequent establishment of standards. The work of Ju Gosling, Robert Kuśmirowski and Bob Flanagan deals with medicalization of otherness as “disability”. Robert Kuśmirowski: Untitled The section entitled Historization of Disability: The Würtz Collection presents the most extensive iconographic collection of pictures, statuettes and several thousand reproductions of images of otherness. Hans Würtz was a founding figure of care for the disabled in Germany. Due to Hitler’s rise to power and various coincidences, most of the collection ended up at the Jedlička Institute. The collection’s presentation at the exhibition is its first large-scale public showing since its original exhibition in Berlin in 1932.

The section devoted to the Jedlička Institute (Transformations of an Institution: The Jedlička Institute) uses one specific example to illustrate the evolution of various types of institutionalization of “disability”. Various movements and principles used within institutional practice gave individual periods their specific character: reform pedagogy, individualization, co-education, self-governance, project-based education, segregation, integration, etc. A special chapter is a set of paintings and drawings by Kamil Lhoták. Lhoták was himself physically disabled due to polio, and was connected to the Jedlička Institute through his friendship with school principal František Spáčil, and especially by his relationship with student at the institute, Manka Haštabová, who was his lifelong lover and muse.

The works of several authors document the subject of institutionalization and its problematic nature in the section entitled Institutional Stories. Jon Crispin presents photographs of luggage found in the attic of the Willard State Hospital in New York State. The contents of the luggage tell the personal stories of patients committed to the institution during the first half of the 20th century, and shows how arbitrary were criteria for institutionalization. The work of Javier Téllez and Danica Dakić then shows the loss of autonomy of the people “entrusted” to an institute’s care and problematize competence criteria as such. Danica Dakić: ISOLA BELLA 3

In the section entitled Moral Risk, a comparison of works by Joanna Pawlik, Artur Żmijewski, Douglas Gordon and Helen Dowling questions the ethical dimension of disability representations, moral risk and exploitation of disability.

Joanna Pawlik: Balans / Untitled (Twins 2)

The last section, entitled The Body as Boudary: Fashion, Design, Prosthetics and the Cyborg, presents the theme of the body and corporeality. Bart Hess and Jennifer Crupi examine various standards, conventions and limits of the body in fashion and design. Other artists themselves place various restrictions on their work and create unusual situations or even new anatomical forms (Stelarc). The works of these artists demonstrate that new technologies can not only affirm the established notions of physical normality, but can also break them down.

The exhibition will feature the following artists: Pauline Boudry (CHE) & Renate Lorenz (GER), Jon Crispin (USA), Jennifer Crupi (USA), Danica Dakić (BiH), Helen Dowling (UK), Bob Flanagan (USA), Martin Heřman Frys (CZ), Douglas Gordon (UK), Ju Gosling (UK), Sara Hendren (USA), Bart Hess (NLD), Wendy Jacob (USA), Floris Kaayk (NLD), Robert Kuśmirowski (POL), Noemi Lakmaier (AUT), Kamil Lhoták (CZ), Štěpán Lipovský (CZ), Simon Mckeown (UK), Tomáš Nosil (CZ), Joanna Pawlik (POL), Carrie Sandahl (USA), Stelarc (AUS), Jana Sterbak (CAN), Bethany Stevens (USA), Lucie Špačková (CZ), Javier Téllez (VEN), The WPA Collective - Susan Nussbaum, Salome Chasnoff, Carrie Sandahl & Alyson Patsavas (USA), Chun Shan (Sandie) Yi (TWN) and Artur Żmijewski (POL).

Exhibition concept: Jaroslav Anděl (DOX) & Kateřina Kolářová (FHS UK) Curatorial contributions: Leoš Válka (DOX), Michaela Šilpochová (DOX), Andrea Hutková (JÚŠ), Jan Pičman (JÚŠ), Filip Herza (FHS UK)

The exhibition is open to the public until 16 September 2013. Print resolution photos are available for download at: http://www.dox.cz/cs/press

ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMME

DOX Centre for Contemporary Art:

20 June 2013 18:00 “Inadaptable Tram Stops” – Happening supporting wheelchair accessible tram stops in Prague 7. In cooperation with Asistence o. s.

30 August 2013 19:00 MAIA: Tenze – Dance performance + open discussion. In cooperation with the CIANT.

11 September 2013 18:00 DOXagora: Handicap IT! - A workshop presenting the latest technology and applications and also mapping the needs of handicapped persons.

OFF-SITE:

29 May 2013 14:30 “Inadaptable Tram Stops” - Happening supporting wheelchair accessible tram stops in Prague 1 – Právnická fakulta → Újezd. In cooperation with Asistence o. s.

ARCHA Theatre:

14 June 2013 20:00 The Endless Landscape of Peťa Hudec – Scenic concert

24 June 2013 20:00 Parkin´Son - Dance performance + discussion. In cooperation with Tanec Praha.

10 September 2013 20:00 VerTeDance: Simulante Bande - Dance performance + discussion.

BIO PONREPO + BIO OKO:

A series of films and discussion devoted to the issue of showing and use of handicap stereotypes in films. More at www.bio-ponrepo.cz and www.biooko.net

Media Contact Zuzana Masná PR & Development Assistant

DOX Centre for Contemporary Art Poupětova 1, 170 00, Praha 7 T +420 295 568 102, M +420 775 442 362 E [email protected] Opening Hours: Mon 10–18, Tue closed, Wed-Fri 11–19, Sat-Sun 10–18.

The DOX Centre’s premises are barrier-free. ZTP card holders have free admission.

In co-operation with: the Jedlička Institute and Schools Exhibition Partners: Nadace Vodafone Česká republika, Nadační fond Avast, BIO OKO, Divadlo Archa, Asistence o.s., Národní filmový archiv DOX Centre Partners: Zdeněk Bakala, Hlavní město Praha, MK ČR, Česká pojišťovna, TECHO, a.s., Premiant City Tour s.r.o., Poster Infinity s.r.o. DOX Centre Media Partners: Česká televize, Hospodářské noviny, RESPEKT, Media Marketing Services, Art&Antiques, České noviny.cz, Prague Events Calendar