by Nevin Aldag, Hochparterre Altona, 2010 HD Video 9 Min

Bouncing in the Corner. The survey of the room is the third and last part of the exhibition series “Honey, I rearranged the collection”. Originally this was the title of a group of artworks by the American artist Allen Ruppersberg. The Art Gallery turned it into a “play” in three acts: #Magic of Things, The Treachery of Objects (2016) #Help Me Hurt Me, Between Caring and Cruelty (2017) #Bouncing in the Corner. The Survey of Space (2018) shows the works of around 25 international artists who deal with space: how do we perceive space? What ‘character’ will be taken by our actions, experiences, memories and ideas, play in this? How do we locate ourselves, what is our place? How do socio-political (power) structures manifest themselves in space? In the context of these questions, important works from the collection and, for the first time, new entries not yet shown are presented. In the last century, our ideas of space have changed significantly from Einstein’s theory of relativity to the so-called spatial turn of the cultural and social sciences. 

Sigmar Polke – Flucht, black-red-gold 1997

Thus, Nevin Aldag describes her opinion of Ikea in the middle of Altona in her video from the perspective of the factory worker to grandma Krause, very interesting. Funny turned because the people speak, the blonde actress mimics accordingly. Space is no longer understood as an empty, three-dimensional structure. Space arises in relation to the human body, its movement and its perception. Actions, constellations and situations determine the social dimension of the space. At the same time, spaces have always been politically determined: They are subject to design, conquest and control processes.

Christian Boltanski: Reserves: Les Suisse Morts.

As in 1989 at the fall of the Berlin Wall and the following border opening, cleverly captured by Siegmar Polke.

The sculptures, objects, installations, films and photographs of the exhibition give an idea of how diverse our ideas of space are. Like Boltanski’s narrow passage into the 1168 Swiss biscuit tins. The cans each carry the photo of a deceased person. The content remains hidden. The serial arrangement is reminiscent of a memorial and thus easily arouses morbid memories …

Architectural models, physical surveys, mental exercises, introspective explorations, sociopolitical manifestos, hidden places they all tell about the space or spaces in which we live.

Rauminstallation “Der Chor der Heuschrecken” von Rebecca Horn

der Chor der Heuschrecken

The kinetic installation “Chor der Heuschrecken”, by Rebecca Horn, is technically highly precise, almost as if by magic. The aluminum rod directs the chorus of typewriters suspended from the ceiling with its coded movements. At the same time a blind stick seems to tentatively explore the space in an attempt to get an idea of it. The typewriters accompany him with acoustic signals. The installation is part of the in-house collections. Every three weeks, a “choral part” must be brought back on track, after a complex complete renovation some time ago …

The exhibition will be shown in the hamburgian Art Gallery till the end of January next year.

The Featured Image shows  “Wall/Floor Positions 1968” by Bruce Naumann

Mit Werken von Nevin Aladağ, Christian Boltanski, Stanley Brouwn, Hreinn Friðfinnsson, Isa Genzken, Mona Hatoum, Rebecca Horn, Jan Köchermann, Gordon Matta-Clark, Michaela Melián, Olaf Metzel, Bruce Nauman, Dennis Oppenheim, Manfred Pernice, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Gregor Schneider, Thomas Schütte, Sara Sizer, Monika Sosnowska, Annette Streyl, Rosemarie Trockel und Jane & Louise Wilson.