Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier #PeterFriedl 22/3 – 9/6 2019 Peter Friedl’s practice eludes unequivocal houses represent living environments media- and style-specific attributions. as diverse reflections on history, politics, A recurring element in his oeuvre is a highly biographies and ideologies; as “case studies specific mode of approach. Rather than for a kind of mental geography relating to an showing dedication to particular topics alternative strain of modernity” (Friedl). or stylistic principles, Friedl’s works, which On occasion of the exhibition in Vienna, often touch on politically charged issues two new models were created: Winnie and follow an aesthetic strategy of “radical Nelson Mandela’s former home in Soweto, neutrality”, as art historian Hilde Van Gelder South Africa (8115 Vilakazi Street), which puts it. Instead of arguing for a certain has since been transformed into a museum, reading or interpretation of a cultural or and one of the container-like prefabricated political artefact, Friedl explores the social houses that made up Amona – the Israeli and media-specific conditions under outpost in Palestinian territories on the West which these readings, interpretations, and Bank, which was cleared in 2017. meanings become established. In this sense, Besides current productions, Teatro his works are not so much theses but rather also features older works such as exemplary models for the renegotiation of Dummy (1997), a video work first shown political and historical certainties. at documenta X, or the long-term project The exhibition Teatro at Kunsthalle Wien Theory of Justice (1992–2010). Both focus focuses on a series of recurring themes in on the problematisation of fictions of justice Friedl’s oeuvre: model, language, history, employing different formal strategies. In translation, theatricality. correspondence with more recent works, The centrepiece is the film installation they not only provide insights into thematic Report (2016), which was first presented at as well as formal continuities and changes documenta 14 (2017). Based on Kafka’s in Friedl’s oeuvre, but also gain new, often short story “A Report to an Academy”, daunting relevance in view of current Friedl develops a complex and struggles for distribution and recognition. cinematographically opulent reflection on the interplay between identity and language, Peter Friedl (b. 1960 in Austria) is an as well as assimilation and autonomy, artist based in Berlin. His work has been by addressing the self-representational exhibited internationally, including at Museo musings of the protagonist ape named Red Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Peter and his integration into human society. Madrid; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Walker Art The cast comprises more than twenty actors Center, Minneapolis; Van Abbemuseum, who recite excerpts from Kafka’s text, either Eindhoven; and Hamburger Kunsthalle. in their respective first languages or in He has participated in documenta X, 12, and languages of their choosing (Arabic, Dari, 14 (1997, 2007, 2017); the 48th and 56th Venice English, French, Greek, Kurdish, Russian, Biennale (1999, 2015); the 3rd Berlin Biennial and Kiswahili). Only the original language, for Contemporary Art (2004); Manifesta 7, Kafka’s Prague German, is missing. The Trento (2008); the 7th Gwangju Biennale empty stage of the National Theatre of (2008); the 28th Bienal de São Paulo (2008); Greece in Athens is the setting. La Triennale, Paris (2012); the Taipei Biennial Works such as The Dramatist (Black (2012, 2016); the 10th Shanghai Biennale Hamlet, Crazy Henry, Giulia, Toussaint) (2014); the 5th Thessaloniki Biennale (2013) and Teatro Popular (2016–17) recall (2015); and the 1st Anren Biennale (2017). the topos of theatricality, but concentrate He currently participates in Sharjah Biennial on the concept of the model. Drawing on 14. Selected solo exhibitions include OUT OF traditional forms of puppet theatre, both THE SHADOWS, Witte de With, Center for The Dramatist and Teatro Popular may be Contemporary Art, Rotterdam (2004); Work read as model arrangements for potential 1964–2006, Museu d’Art Contemporani counter-narratives to modernity. de Barcelona; Miami Art Central; Musée This links them to Rehousing, a project d’art contemporain; Marseille (2006–07); Friedl started in 2012, which features a Blow Job, Extra City Kunsthal, Antwerp series of true-to-scale architectural models (2008); Working, Kunsthalle Basel (2008); Cover: Report, 2016, video still, courtesy of the artist; Gallery Erna Hécey, Luxembourg; Guido Costa Projects, Turin; of historical structures, in some cases Peter Friedl, Sala Rekalde, Bilbao (2010); and Nicolas Krupp Galerie, Basel destroyed or never realised. The chosen The Dramatist, Artspace, Auckland, (2014); 1 The Diaries, Grazer Kunstverein, Graz romanticism and paternalism; on how to (2016), and Teatro Popular, Lumiar Cité, respond to the expectations placed on art to Lisbon (2017). successfully intervene in the social sphere without being indifferent towards social Curators concerns. The artist as the film’s protagonist Anne Faucheret, Vanessa Joan Müller is faced with the dilemma that the appara- tus containing his money won’t deliver the The exhibition will be on view at the Carré desired goods, thus causing him to shirk d’Art, Musée d’art contemporain de Nîmes his supposed responsibility towards the from 25/10 2019 – 1/3 2020. other person. The short film shows a chain reaction triggered by the cussedness of the inanimate Dummy, 1997 object, a process that seems, but is not, Video, colour, sound, 0:32 min., loop mechanistic. This perplexing ambivalence, Edition of 3 also frustrating to behold, exemplifies Collection Museu d’Art Contemporani de the conflict zone between art and its Barcelona (MACBA), Barcelona assigned functions, between reality and both Collection Video-Forum, Neuer Berliner its aesthetic and analytical representation Kunstverein, Berlin – a topic which Peter Friedl continued to explore in later works. He has repeatedly Produced for documenta X, Dummy was described Liberty City (2007) as Dummy’s Dummy, 1997, installation view documenta X, Kassel, 1997, courtesy of the artist; Guido Costa Projects, Turin; filmed in a pedestrian underpass in Kassel. “dark twin”. Both works comment on crises Gallery Erna Hécey, Luxembourg; Nicolas Krupp Galerie, Basel; photo: Dieter Schwerdtle A young man – the artist himself – walks that are not only urban crises. down a flight of stairs, heads towards a cigarette machine, inserts money, but the machine refuses to comply. The man shakes Peter Friedl, 1998 the apparatus, finally kicks it, and walks Garments, mixed media away frustrated. When a junkie asks him Dimensions variable for money, he shoves him away and in turn Collection La Gaia – Busca, Italy receives a kick. The slapstick-like film, which lasts no For a child, disguise and transformation more than thirty-two seconds, is based on a are still the same. As a child, dressing cartoon with six images from the Italian mag- up meant becoming someone else, azine La Settimana Enigmistica. Set up only betraying the still rudimentary self with for the shooting, the cigarette machine was relish – in favour of a new, more exciting, removed immediately afterwards. During maybe even monstrous identity. The documenta, the film was shown in an end- repertoire of possible transformations also less loop on a monitor installed in a display includes animals. Becoming an animal case in the same pedestrian under-pass. promises the experience of the archaic The seemingly realistic film scenario thus and different: wildness and innocence, turned into a reflection on a cinematograph- strength and vulnerability, security and fear; ic dispositif that produces reality only as a a juxtaposition of extremes, still directly reality effect according to the conditions of accessible for a child’s imagination, while the apparatus: while the setting was real, only granted to the adult in the domesticated the micro drama unfolding in its midst was context of regulated cultural exceptions – a staged illusion. a club night, carnival, art. The manufactured quality of the image In 1997, during the preparations for his corresponds to the role of the cigarette ma- first retrospective at the Palais des Beaux- chine as the guiding instance that refuses to Arts in Brussels, Peter Friedl asked sixteen function as it should, thus triggering further staff members, including the director, to reactions. Frustration leads to aggression name the animal they had once wanted which leads to more aggression. And yet, to be. The statements and wishes were the film is not a moral judgement, but rather as charming as they were diverse: cat, a dummy in the true sense: a placeholder unicorn, penguin, giraffe, crocodile, lion, for the test on how art and social reality may “a transparent, round virus”. Friedl had these interrelate with one another beyond social animal costumes made, some in adults’, Peter Friedl, 1998, installation view Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 2000, Collection La Gaia – Busca; photo: Jean-Claude Planchet 2 3 some in children’s sizes, and arranged them While seemingly reduced on a formal in a colourful heap in one of the exhibition level, King Kong overflows with references. rooms. Visitors were free to decide whether To begin with, there is the eponymous they only wanted to look at the costumes or Hollywood classic by Merian C. Cooper and slip into the role of one the animals on display Ernest B. Schoedsack from 1933: The story (many, also the employees of the Palais of the giant ape King Kong who is carried des Beaux-Arts, chose the latter option). off into the modern world. The “King Kong” Friedl took the genre of the retrospective theme comprises a whole cosmos of racist literally: the game with the exhibits was and exotic projections. The giant ape is both in fact a reference to childhood, the most the chimera and fantasy of a culture that retrospective place of all.1 simultaneously fears and modifies, abhors In subsequent presentations, Peter and desires foreignness. By eliminating and Friedl underwent a decisive change: the oppressing the “other”, it establishes its offer of participation, which had promised consistency and identity.