Kunsthaus Bregenz
KUB 06
Annual Press Conference 06
Kunsthaus Bregenz
Kunsthaus Bregenz
Inside the Work
“The Kunsthaus Bregenz is an open platform for the artwork and the audience alike, a place for deceleration, where the focus is on the real here and now of newly produced work series and artists are free to unfold the full potential of their work’s radical right. To the artists, the Kunsthaus is a temporary studio, a research and production site for developing new work series whose validity lies in their uncompromising artistic accentuation.” Eckhard Schneider
With this idea, the Kunsthaus Bregenz has succeeded in establishing itself as one of the leading international exhibition spaces in Europe within just a few years. Artists, the public, and the media all agree that the Kunsthaus can currently claim to have “the most compelling exhibition roster in the German- speaking world” (Monopol, no. 3 [2005]). All in all, the KUB is regarded, especially among artists, as a “signature space” grounded on a persuasive overall idea: the conclusive indivisi- bility of architecture, programming, curatorial approach, publications, and education geared toward the core of art. This unique platform with its radical artistic demands on the artwork remains unparalleled in Europe and in 2006 shall continue to set standards and provide challenges for artists and audiences alike. Chapman Constructive Provocation
Whiteread Lichtenstein
Appelt KUB in NYC
Wild at Heart Cardiff & Miller Review of Activities in 2005
For the Kunsthaus Bregenz, 2005 was an important and successful year. In addition to its five exhibitions, the KUB also presented three large-scale projects which were comparable in size and effort to the exhibitions themselves. The major themes of last year’s programming were the dialogue between generations, surprising shifts between sublime, minimalist forms and provocative messages, the exchange of media between disciplines, and, as the highlight of the season, the mature classic works of one the heroes of contemporary art. Last year, along with program continuity, two exhibitions stood out in particular. On the one hand, there was the Lichten- stein exhibition, with which the KUB introduced a new strategic and programmatic course; on the other hand, the project “KUB in NYC,” which was a successful undertaking, has confirmed KUB’s place in the international arena. Total number of visitors 2005 marked record attendance levels with a total of to the Kunsthaus Bregenz in 2005: 81,000 81,000 visitors turning out mainly to see the Lichtenstein Visitors to KUB in NYC: 4,000 Visitors to Janet Cardiff, exhibition. The KUB Arena, the main platform for communi- Johanniterkirche Feldkirch: 11,000 cation at the Kunsthaus, was once again an important focus, where high thematic standards were maintained for the various projects. Moreover, in conjunction with the KUB’s showcase exhibition in New York, it also served as an ideal platform for connecting work and audience. In 2005, as in the past, KUB once again received overall positive press on its work. Catalogues were published to accompany all five exhibitions. Of these, the Lichtenstein catalogue was by far the most successful. Proceeds from the publications, artist’s and special editions, and admissions generated an excellent financial outcome. On the occasion of the Lichtenstein exhibition, the Society of Friends of the Kunsthaus Bregenz contributed significantly to the educational services by financing an audio guide system and a group tour system. 06 06 KUB Programm 02.03 Louise Bourgeois Review of Exhibitions Roy Lichtenstein KUB in NYC
Visitors to the exhibition Roy Lichtenstein: 51,000 Visitor analysis Roy Lichtenstein: Germans: 54.5% Austrians: 22% Swiss: 17.5 % Other Europeans: 5.5% Overseas: 0.5% The two most exemplary events of the year 2005 were the Lichtenstein exhibition and the project “KUB in NYC.” With Catalogue sales Lichtenstein till January 06: 2,640 its Lichtenstein exhibition, the KUB opened a range of new Sales KUB: 2,003 programmatic possibilities, which arise primarily from its European distribution by geocultural location away from the large urban centers and its Walther König: 500 USA distribution by D.A.P.: 2,500 overall cultural responsibility vis-à-vis Vorarlberg. It turned out to be a good idea to present a historical aspect of contemporary Visitors to the exhibition KUB in NYC: 4,000 art by showing a specific selection and incorporating this Visitors to the KUB Arena: 2,150; position into the scope of KUB’s overall programming and of those, 600 attended artist talks underlying radical focus. The positive response from all sides (Austrian Cultural Forum), 1,250 attended architectural talks (ACF and has brought visitors from new areas. Moreover, the exhibition Great Hall/Cooper Union), 300 attended was also a success from a financial point of view. the forum “Light” (Parsons The New School for Design). The special project “KUB in NYC” gave the KUB the opportunity to claim and confirm its status in an international Sponsors and Supporters arena and to demonstrate that a metropolitan program removed KUB in NYC Land Vorarlberg, from a metropolitan setting can be combined successfully with Federal Chancellery Arts Division, the specific reputation and image of the institution and that the Wirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg, Montfort Werbung, key to success is the logical integral concept of the insepara- Zumtobel Staff, bleness of architecture, programming, publications, and art Hypo Landesbank Vorarlberg, education. Furthermore, the show in NYC helped the KUB forge Vorarlberg Tourismus, Vorarlberger Medienhaus, new supportive partnerships that will represent a new strategic ORF Vorarlberg, course for its activities in the years to come. The network Mäser Digital Media, Bregenz Tourismus, established in New York shall also serve to support new projects HS Art Service Austria in the future.
KUB 06
Program 2006
Kunsthaus Bregenz
Mission Statement
Since revising its programmatic orientation in 2001, the KUB has realized twenty-five exhibitions and over thirty projects, all of which were of the museum’s own conception and for the most part premieres in Germany, Austria, and Europe. The central idea of producing completely new work series arising through a dialogue with the building’s architecture as well as programming that aims at artistic depth and complexity at the interface of contemporary production and discourse has been and will remain the long-term objective of the KUB. Moreover, the KUB will also continue to place importance on bringing together regional identity and international challenge. In 2006, work will focus on strengthening all areas of what has been established and on planning the approaching anniversary year 2007. In these endeavors, the main guiding activities will be to continue to develop the second program- matic emphasis begun with the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition and to establish a third emphasis consisting of architecture- specific exhibitions.
Presentation of International Contemporary Art
The exhibition program 2006 is marked by artistic continuity as regards the reputation for showing unique KUB-specific artwork, i.e. the synthesis of specially created new productions that incorporate the architecture of the Kunsthaus and the presentation of outstanding international artists of the younger and middle generations who have had a lasting effect on the discourse in contemporary art and society. Planned for 2006 are a total of six exhibitions and outdoor projects incorporating the KUB Plaza and the KUB Façade. The successful KUB Billboard series with its focus on Vorarlberg artists will also be continued this year. As in previous years, all the exhibitions, with the exception of the Sherman and Bechtold shows, will be Austrian premieres. Moreover, with the exception of the Cindy Sherman exhibition, all will be presentations of the KUB’s own conceptions, with series of work that have in part never been shown before as well as architecture-specific installations. The summer exhibition will be dedicated to the Irish- British artist Michael Craig-Martin and to one of the most interesting artists of the younger generation, Tino Sehgal. Overall, this year’s programming focuses on the refined aspects of already developed artistic fields. It examines the meaning and role of the use of material in art as well as carefully honed artistic strategies. Finally, with Tino Sehgal it offers a new radical material-free definition of the concept of art. Exhibitions 2006
Jean-Marc Bustamante Born in Toulouse, France in 1952. Lives and works in Paris. 29|01|–19|03|2006 Jean-Marc Bustamante is one of the most important French artists of his generation. He has contributed repeatedly to the documenta and represented France in its pavilion at the Venice Biennial in 2003. Bustamante became known for his photographs of urban landscapes, of undeveloped sites, urban peripheries, which he calls simply “Tableaux” (Paintings). From 1987 on, he has created abstract sculptures and objects, mainly out of steel, glass, metal, and red lead paint, with which he set forth his contemplation on the interrelations between sculpture, furniture, image, and space. A fundamental theme in his work is the connection between theo- retical, abstract space and real space in nature and architecture. With a presentation of nine work series, the Kunsthaus Bregenz will be showing the first large-scale solo exhibition of Bustamante’s work in Austria. On display will be enormous sculptures, large-format wall pieces made of perspex, objects that are a cross between sculpture and painting (“Trophées”), as well as a choreographic composition of light designed for the façade of the building. For the first time, Bustamante will not be showing photographs but will concentrate, instead, on the staging of sculptures, objects, paintings, space, and light in connection with the building’s architecture.
Gelitin Gelitin is made up of four artists. They first met at summer camp in 1978. In 1993 they began exhibiting internationally. In 2005 they changed their name from Gelatin to Gelitin. 13|04|–28|05|2006 Gelitin, the “Good Bad Boys” of the international art scene are famous for their spectacular performances and installations, e.g. at the Expo 2000 in Hanover and the Venice Biennial 2001. For their first large-scale museum exhibition, which in- cludes a public restroom and a movie theater made exclusively of found material and inexpensive waste products, the four artists will be coming personally to set up their work with their own hands, a process they consider very important. On April 12 and 13 they will open the exhibition with a two-day event that incorporates artist-friends and the audience. It will be a cross between installation, film, rock concert, performance, happening, and classic exhibition, in which physicality plays a major role.
14 15 KUB-Program 06 Michael Craig-Martin Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1941. Lives and works in London. 10|06| –13|08|2006 First solo exhibition in Austria. An overall artwork out of painting, drawing, space, and light, created specially for the KUB with new paintings, “Walldrawings,” that fill the entire room, and a large- scale light installation for the façade. A central theme is the idea of a universal visual language consisting of everyday items and art objects whose immediacy derives from the beauty of modern objects. At the same time, however, the roots of his work also lie in a classical, Renaissance-like tradition of an ideally constructed world view, which in the positive view of a pop- related art also depends on communication aimed at a broad audience. Since his early period as a conceptual artist in the 1960s, Michael Craig-Martin has been considered one of the most important representatives of an Anglo-American art combining European and US traditions. Tino Sehgal Born in London, GB in 1976. Lives and works in Berlin. 17|08|–24|09|2006 First solo exhibition in Austria. Tino Sehgal will use the four exhibition levels of the Kunsthaus Bregenz for three sculptural situations, of which two will be developed especially for Bregenz. A work that utilizes the extant conventions of the museum in order to transform the direct experience into an art product through precisely designed pieces consisting of language, bodies, and movement. In this way, Sehgal radically redefines the conditions for the production and reception of art.
Gottfried Bechtold Born in Bregenz, Austria, in 1947. Lives and works in Bregenz. 01|10|–19|11|2006 Large-scale solo exhibition by the Vorarlberg-based Austrian artist. Five new work series, among them an ensemble of sculptures consisting of 11 concrete Porsches cast for the KUB Plaza, will show the current state of his examination of an extend- ed concept of sculpture that orients itself on a new experience of space, time, material, and language. A long overdue positioning of one of the most consistent Austrian artists in the international arena whose work has stood for a new concept of art for more than 40 years.
16 17 KUB-Program 06 Cindy Sherman Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey/USA in 1954. Lives and works in New York City. 25|11|2006–14|01|2007 The American photographer Cindy Sherman is considered one of the major representatives of staged photography. In her early b&w photos “Untitled Film Stills,” Sherman herself slips into different female roles. In doing so, she hides her own identity behind astonishing masks. None of her works can be seen as self-portraits; rather, she paraphrases woman-specific conventions in front of the camera. Later, in her color photographs from 1980 on, sexual themes become more dominant; her backdrops and costumes more theatrical with a strong turn towards the fantastical. In primarily aggressive arrangements, Sherman reflects upon the image of the woman in a male dominated society – from the feminine figure in magazine centerfolds to fragmentary fetish objects with enormous genitals. In a retrospective with more than 160 works, organized and compiled by Jeu de Paume, Paris, the Kunsthaus Bregenz will be showing the first large-scale solo exhibition by the artist in Austria. The presentation spans all of her creative periods, from the early photographs in the 1960s to her current clown series. KUB Façade 2006
Jean-Marc Bustamante dispersion 29|01| – 19|03|2006 Together with the light designer Gilles Conan, Jean-Marc Bustamante will be developing a light installation that will cover all four sides of the glazed envelope of the Kunsthaus Bregenz. Controlled by dimmer and computer, the varying intensity and duration of illumination of a total of 200 lights, 50 per side, will produce an abstract picture with a constantly changing pattern. Zumtobel Staff will contribute significantly to the implementation of this installation.
Michael Craig-Martin light house/house light 10|06| – 13|08|2006 In a simple line made of lights, Michael Craig-Martin plans to draw a house with a gabled roof, windows, and doors onto the glazed façade of the Kunsthaus. The work will be done with fluorescent lights in magenta, red, blue, and white mounted directly behind the opaque glass panels. In this way, the abstract windowless flat-roofed structure built by Peter Zumthor will be temporarily transformed into an illuminated representation of a symbolic and popular depiction of a conventional house.
18 19 KUB-Program 06 KUB Plaza 2006
Gottfried Bechtold 01|10| – 19|11|2006 Between the Kunsthaus, the KUB Café, and the State Theater, Gottfried Bechtold will fill Karl-Tizian-Platz with eleven new models of the Porsche Carrera S. The sports cars, a synonym for speed and dynamics, have been transformed and rendered immobile in two senses: through the material – each Porsche consists of some 15 tons of concrete – and through the thin tarp thrown over them prior to casting, as if they were being put down for the winter. The exceptional quality of the concrete, the formal and casting workmanship, and the undulation of the thin layer of fabric draped over the soft contours of the cars lend the sculptures a strongly sensual and abstract impression. With these new works, Bechtold continues the study of the car myth that he began more than thirty years ago with the “Concrete Porsche” (1971) and has continued with works like “Crash Porsche” (2001). 020020 KUB Programm 02.03 Louise Bourgeois KUB Billboards
Since the Kunsthaus Bregenz opened in the summer of 1997, the seven KUB Billboards along the Seestrasse (each measuring 3.42 x 3.42 meters) have been used for art projects specially designed for this site by Austrian and international artists. Because of their prominent location along the busiest street in downtown Bregenz – leading from the train station to the Kunsthaus – the billboards number among the most high-profile and controversial artistic interventions in the public space of the city. For the Kunsthaus Bregenz and the participating artists, the KUB Billboards constitute an important instrument for communicating with a wider public. The billboards reach people who are reluctant to enter the Kunsthaus and open a broad discussion platform for the discourse of contemporary art and current themes. For its programming, the KUB Billboards draw from two main pools: exhibiting artists at the Kunsthaus Bregenz, who in this way are also given the opportunity to present their work outside, and artists from Vorarlberg, who are invited to take advantage of a prominent place to present their current work for discussion. Contributors invited for 2006 are the graphic artist Stefan Sagmeister, the photographer Nikolaus Walter, and the artists Michael Craig-Martin, Gottfried Bechtold, and Cindy Sherman. The KUB Billboards are sponsored by ÖBB and Typico Megaprints, Lochau. KUB Arena The KUB Arena of the Kunsthaus is both an art and communica- tion platform, which is implemented in cooperation with our partners Montfort Werbung and DMG. It is located in the foyer of the KUB, between the public space of the city and the private rooms of the exhibition spaces. In 2003, the KUB Arena was inaugurated with an exhibition by Franz West, and since then it has been the venue for a number of very diverse thematic concepts. The idea of a discursive arena has been formally expanded by the work of Anish Kapoor, Hans Schabus, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, and particularly by the exhibition “KUB in NYC.” The KUB Arena defines itself as a space for discourse and a platform where interaction takes place and communication comes alive. The KUB Arena program for 2006 includes contributions by Jean-Marc Bustamante, Gelitin, Michael Craig-Martin, and Gottfried Bechtold.
22 23 KUB-Program 06 Publications In conjunction with its exhibitions, the Kunsthaus Bregenz publishes catalogues produced in close cooperation with the artists and leading graphic designers such as Walter Nikkels, Stefan Sagmeister, Martina Goldner, Bruce Mau, Mark Diaper, or Monomer. The graphic design harmoniously translates the subject and the pictorial language of the artist to the page. Exhibition Catalogues 2006: Jean-Marc Bustamante, Each catalogue has its own personal signature and is almost Gelitin, as important as the exhibition and the work itself. Michael Craig-Martin, Gottfried Bechtold, Generally bilingual, the exhibition catalogues are intended Cindy Sherman to be sold at the Kunsthaus as well as distributed internationally.
Editions Close collaboration with the artists at the work and production stages makes it possible to produce special editions designed exclusively for the Kunsthaus Bregenz. In 2005, the artists and exhibitions featured in this series were Jake and Dinos Chapman, Rachel Whiteread, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Roy Lichtenstein, and “Tu Felix Austria.” For the first edition in 2006, Jean-Marc Bustamante will publish a work entitled “Trophée,” for which an animal theme was chosen that strikes a characteristic balance between a naturalistic, recognizable form and a purely abstract, bold accent of color. As limited editions, these KUB series will prove especially attractive to collectors of contemporary art and are available for purchase at a special price for the duration of the respective exhibitions.
Art Education The aim of art education at the Kunsthaus Bregenz is to enable the transfer of artistic ideas and to forge a link between the artists, the work, and the visitors. To this end, the Kunsthaus offers visitors many different ways of learning to appreciate art. In addition to the standard tours (Saturdays at 2 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m., Thursdays at 7 p.m.), it is also possible to arrange individually tailored tours. Highlights include the director’s and curator’s tours, visits to artists’ studios, artist’s tours, or architectural and backstage tours. Events like “KUB + Coffee” or subjective tours help develop a sense of one’s own perception. In the special tours for teachers, participants learn different age-specific approaches to help students learn about the works of the exhibiting artists. In addition to the Art Dragon and the weekly Saturday workshops aimed at explaining the exhibitions to small children, the KUB also offers a several-day course for young audiences based on the Munari method. 18 19 KUB-Programm 06 Sponsors and Partners
AFAA – Association Française d’Action Artistique Amann Dicht- und Dämmsysteme Ankünder – Gesellschaft Außenwerbung mbH AWECO- Appliance Systems AXA-Nordstern Art Berlinger Holzbau BMW Group Bootsvermietung Seetaxi Hardy Feuerstein Bootswer ft Hartmann Hugo Boss Bregenzer Festspiele Bregenzer Segelclub Bregenz Tourismus Friends and Partners of the DMG doka - Die Schalungstechniker Kunsthaus Bregenz Federal Chancellery Arts Division Feycolor One key element that has made the successful work of the Flatz, Bruno Kunsthaus Bregenz possible is the long-term provision of cultural Heinrich Ganahl Getränke Kunsthaus Bregenz support by the State of Vorarlberg as the KUB’s principal Gerriets sponsor. The same goes for the Kulturhäuser Betriebsgesell- Gesellschaft der Freunde des Kunsthaus Bregenz schaft mbH in their function as commercial intermediary. Glas Marte The Society of Friends of the Kunsthaus Bregenz has been HS-Art Service Austria Hypo Landesbank Vorarlberg an indispensable partner since the Kunsthaus was founded. It Icon contributes greatly to helping the Kunsthaus Bregenz implement I+R Schertler Institut Français d’Innsbruck its concepts, especially its art-educational program. Institut Français de Vienne Interlux Hirsch GmbH In time, the Kunsthaus Bregenz has also found important Kaufmann Holz AG partners in Montfort Werbung, DMG, the Hypo Landesbank, Kultour Taxi KUNST - Federal Chancellery and Zumtobel Staff. Their work and dedication enables the Kvadrat implementation of sophisticated as well as technically and Landesberufsschule Bregenz 2 Lechler Coatings financially demanding exhibitions and projects. Mäser Digital Media Other major contributions have also been made by Merkur Vaseline Montfort Werbung Vorarlberg corporate sponsors and partners, e.g. the Vorarlberger Nägele Bau Kraftwerke AG; another notable sponsor is Hugo Boss. NEC n-tree solutions ÖBB ÖKS – Österreichischer Kultur Service ORF Vorarlberg Pfeiffer Gerüstbau Major Sponsors PI – Pädagogisches Institut des Bundes Radio Vorarlberg Rhomberg Bau Kulturhäuser Betriebs- Ruderverein Wiking gesellschaft mbH Shiseido Siemens Spedition Braun Technogel Gesellschaft der Freunde The British Council Ton + Bild des Kunsthaus Bregenz Typico Megaprints UNIQA Vontobel VAI – Vorarlberger Architektur Institut Hauptsponsoren VKS – Vorarlberger Kultur Service VKW – Vorarlberger Kraftwerke VN – Vorarlberger Nachrichten Vorarlberger Medienhaus Vorarlberger Holzbau Zukunft Sponsor of the KUBArena House-sponsor of the Kunsthaus Bregenz Vorarlberger Illwerke Vorarlberg Tourismus Wirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg Yachtclub Bregenz Zumtobel Staff Sponsor of the KUBArena KUB 06
Annual Press Conference 06
Program is subject to change Kunsthaus Bregenz
Opening Hours Kunsthaus Bregenz Copyright Tuesday– Sunday 10a.m.– 6 p.m. Karl-Tizian-Platz © 2006 by Kunsthaus Bregenz Thursday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. A-6900 Bregenz During the Bregenz Festival: Phone (+43-55 74) 4 85 94-0 Concept 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fax (+43-55 74) 485 94-8 Eckhard Schneider [email protected] Admission Adults www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at Text 7.00 Euro Birgit Albers Reduced Admission 4,50 Euro Director Winfried Nußbaummüller 10% reduction for Ö1 Club Eckhard Schneider Rudolf Sagmeister members Eckhard Schneider School children, apprentices Curator Katrin Wiethege 1,50 Euro Rudolf Sagmeister Groups of 15 or more Editorial Work 4,50 Euro per person Press and Public Relations Birgit Albers Guided tours for groups Birgit Albers Melanie Büchel of 15 or more in German ext. /13 4,– Euro per person; [email protected] Translation other languages Assistant|Melanie Büchel Kimi Lum 4,50 Euro per person Workshops or art-education Art Education Photos programs for children on Winfried Nußbaummüller ©by the photographers, artists, Saturdays 4,– Euro ext. /17 and legal successors w.nussbaummueller@ Guided Tours Information kunsthaus-bregenz.at Basic Graphic Design and Reservations Assistentin|Kirsten Helfrich Clemens Theobert Schedler Beatrice Nussbichler Büro für konkrete Gestaltung ext. /18 Publications b.nussbichler@kunsthaus- Katrin Wiethege Graphic Design bregenz.at ext. /16 Dalpra & Partner, Götzis k.wiethege@kunsthaus- René Dalpra, Joachim Zettl Inquiries bregenz.at Margit Müller-Schwab Assistant|Antje Kühn ext. /9 m.mueller-schwab@ Editions kunsthaus-bregenz.at Caroline Schneider ext. /44 c.schneider@kunsthaus- bregenz.at
Director’s Assistant Beatrice Nussbichler
Office Margit Müller-Schwab
Administration Ute Denkenberger Phone (+43-55 74) 5 31 06-19 [email protected]
Technical staff Markus Tembl, Markus Unterkircher, Stefan Vonier
Kunsthaus Bregenz