PERSONAL STRUCTURES Crossing Borders PERSONAL STRUCTURES Crossing Borders Palazzo Mora . Palazzo Bembo Colophon Contents © 2015. Texts by the authors Introduction 9 Beatriz Gerenstein 84 Veronique Rischard 174 Zinaida Lihacheva 252 © The copyright for all reproduced artworks lies with the respective artists. Valerie Ghoussaini 86 Nicolas V Sanchez 176 Pep Llambías 256 Palazzo Mora 13 Andrea Guastavino 88 Sebastian Schrader 178 Michael Luther 260 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in Marc Abele 14 Kimberley Gundle 90 Amber Sena 180 Steff Lüthi 262 a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, Hans Aichinger 16 Mau Harrison 92 Justin Orvis Steimer 184 Una H. Moehrke 264 mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of Gus Albor 18 Xenia Hausner 94 Karl Stengel 186 Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajavin 268 the editor. Carl Andre 20 Anne Herzbluth 96 Martin Stommel 188 Lili Nalŏvi & Jesko Willert 272 Narine Arakelyan 24 Print: Grafica Veneta S.p.A., Italy Dieter Huber 98 Josephine Turalba 190 Phebe Parisia 276 Orly Aviv 26 Manfred Kielnhofer 100 Günther Uecker 192 Ki-Woong Park 278 Bruce Barber 30 Edited by: Global Art Affairs Foundation i.c.w. European Cultural Centre Joseph Kosuth 102 Guy Van Den Bulcke 198 Daniel Pesta 280 www.globalartaffairs.org Bigert & Bergström 32 Jarosław Kozłowski 108 Lawrence Weiner 202 Triny Prada 282 www.europeanculturalcentre.eu Ivana Boris 34 Lee Nam Lee 110 Martina Reinhart 284 Eric Bourret 36 Palazzo Bembo 207 Norma E. Lopez 114 Annina Roescheisen 286 Published by: Global Art Affairs Foundation Daniel Buren 38 Lore Bert 208 Manifold 116 Daniel Schaer 288 Stefano Canto 42 Louise Manzon 118 Simon Bilodeau 210 ISBN: 978-94-90784-18-8 Greg Semu 290 Norberto Carating 44 Maartje Blans 212 Marcello Martinez-Vega 120 Jonathan Shimony 292 Soojin Cha 46 Riana Hw Chow 216 www.personalstructures.org François Morellet 124 Mihai Topescu 294 Manohar Chiluveru 48 Antonio Freiles 218 Nam Hong 128 Vitaliy & Elena Vasilieva 296 www.venice-exhibitions.org Paul Ching Bor 50 Katrin Fridriks 220 Houria Niati 130 Walter & Zoniel 300 www.palazzobembo.org Glen Clarke 52 Andras Gal 224 Hermann Nitsch 132 Dörte Wehmeyer 302 www.palazzomora.org Michael Cook 54 Han Ho 226 Yoko Ono 138 Arnix Wilnoudt 306 Karlyn De Jongh 56 Hassan & Larreta 230 Roman Opalka 144 Zhang Yu 310 Herman De Vries 60 Lisette Huizenga 234 Mike Parr 148 Zheng Chongbin 314 Iris Dostal 68 Wolfgang Pavlik 158 Helen Kirwan 238 Jayne Dyer & Wayne Warren 70 Qin Chong 160 Seema Kohli 240 Curators 319 Carole A. Feuerman 74 Saad Qureshi 162 Beat Kuert 242 Captions 325 Marc Fromm 76 Jörg Remé 164 Guillaume Lachapelle 246 Daniele Galliano 78 Reko Rennie 166 Sam Leach 248 Sponsors 331 Kristaps Ģelzis 82 Rene Rietmeyer 168 Myungil Lee 250 7 INTRODUCTION race, and sex. Yoko Ono says in an interview with us about her new worship for many religions, but Venice is also home to a large atheist Introduction work ACT PEACE, which was especially made for this exhibition, “All association, and it is also the city of La Biennale di Venezia. All of this backgrounds are backgrounds for peace.” And: “The true emotion we makes Venice an excellent place to study the sociological and By Karlyn De Jongh, Sarah Gold, Valeria Romagnini & Rene Rietmeyer have is love. Love will conquer all.” [Note of the organizers: Love ethnological development of the European society in general. It is the should conquer all] ideal place to come to understand who we are and how we are seen. The European Cultural Centre reflects upon the dynamics of European In the context of La Biennale di Venezia 2015, the European Cultural culture and influences, upon how Europe is seen within and outside Centre presents PERSONAL STRUCTURES: Crossing Borders in two of its prestigious Palazzo’s in Venice, Palazzo Mora and Palazzo Bembo. “We, artists, creative entrepreneurs, researchers, as a collective group, Today’s ‘Erasmus generation’ is living Europe and is its future. Com- its borders. Our aim is to go beyond our geographical borders. The exhibition shows an extensive combination of established artists we believe that there is a need for an emblematic space, located in ing from Europe and abroad, they share an interest in the develop- Borders—in the widest sense of the word—have to be crossed in and artists whose practice is less known, as a cross section of what Venice, dedicating time and space and presenting the existence of the ment of alternative approaches and improvement of cultural research order to develop ourselves as human beings, in order to understand can be seen as art today. Their common ground is the artist’s subjec- culture of Europe. A centre devoted to cultural exchanges, meetings, and awareness. implementation of knowledge, which leads to an who we are. “To cherish our differences and strengthen cultural tive, personal expression of his or her reflection on the concepts artistic projects, laboratory, with Europeans and others, it is our aim ongoing questioning. Even though knowledge and many connections commons”, this goal can only become reality if we open ourselves up Time, Space and Existence. This results in artworks which visually to cherish our differences and strengthen cultural commons.” come through the internet these days, a real physical venue in the to the world around us and share our thoughts, without prejudice. appear to be very different. city of Venice offers everybody a unique meeting place in Europe to “To cherish our differences and strengthen cultural commons”. This explore, experience, document and present cultural togetherness. The exhibition mainly presents recent artworks by living artists, either PERSONAL STRUCTURES: Crossing Borders is the opening exhibition mission of the European Cultural Centre [ECC], which, as a place for site-specific, especially made for this exhibition, or coming directly out of the European Cultural Centre, which was created in 2014. This The Global Art Affairs Foundation organised the exhibition PERSONAL reflection, research and creation for interdisciplinary encounters, as well of the collection of the artist. Conform the aim of the European Cultural exhibition should be seen as a platform for artists from Europe and STRUCTURES: Crossing Borders with these thoughts in mind. Since as a centre for resources and experimentation, provides the conditions Centre, the exhibition features a broad variety of artistic media; video, other parts of the world to visually present personal expressions of 2002, the GAA-Foundation has worldwide organised exhibitions, to invite artistic and creative practices from all fields—visual art, dance, sculptures, paintings, drawings, photos and installations. Since the their thoughts and being. symposia and published books highlighting philosophical themes in performance, theatre, music, literature, architecture etc., seeing them as more than 100 participating artists originate from very diverse cultures contemporary art and architecture, in particular regarding the subjects a process of learning and experiencing. The ECC is a place for investi- Sixty years ago, the Swiss philosopher and great pioneer of European representing over 50 countries and are also of very different age, the Time Space Existence, bringing together artists and architects from gating the most vital contemporary issues, designing a shared future. integration, Denis de Rougemont, believed in a cultural Europe, in a topics Time, Space and Existence are highlighted from unusual, very various cultural backgrounds and different ages. Also in this exhibition Europe with direct participation of people beyond the nation-state with Since hundreds of years, Venice has been a place of cultural exchange personal points of view. Despite today’s easy access to knowledge, the at the European Cultural Centre, the concepts Time Space Existence are culture as a vital ingredient for Europe’s post-war rebuilding and healing. and an important exporter of European culture. Venice, however, was exhibition manifests that intellectual development and emotional central and presents artists from all over the world, next to each other, chosen as the seat of the European Cultural Centre not only for its expressions in contemporary art still show great differences. Not only Today, sixty years later, the importance of culture within the paradigm a documentation, often regardless the personal preferences of the historical importance, but also for a number of specific features that from culture to culture, but even within one culture. of our society’s wellbeing still needs recognition and further active organizers. As sincere as possible, the Global Art Affairs Foundation make it the ideal venue for the realisation of the objectives of the stimulation, more than economic growth. To achieve a sustainable presents in this exhibition what can be seen as a modest cross section PERSONAL STRUCTURES: Crossing Borders shows the commonness ECC. Venice is a city with an extraordinary concentration of facilities Europe, the environmental, social and cultural objectives have to be of European visual art, in dialogue with several non-European artists. and differences between Europeans, in dialogue with works of Non- and organizations dedicated to culture. The historic centre is only rebalanced against the financial and economic ones. The role of Europeans. In addition the exhibition stimulates a more conscious Although the European Cultural Centre hosts this exhibition and populated by approx. 60,000 inhabitants, but it sustains: 45 museums creative and critical thinking, fostered by arts and cultural activities, relationship from the spectator towards his daily surrounding aiming presents it as its first statement in Venice, PERSONAL STRUCTURES: and seven theatres, 14 foundations with the objectives to promote also plays a key role if the citizens are to regain trust in Europe. to increase the awareness of their own personal Existence as human Crossing Borders does not only show works by European artists, but and develop culture; two leading universities, an art academy, a beings influenced by a specific Culture within Space and Time.