The Temporäre Kunsthalle by its nature is permitted to put on shows that will not compromise its identity or alienate an established audience. It escapes stale shows that some great art institutes fall foul to. This notable space will, as its name suggests, have but a short history. However, with a wealth of exceptional artist curated exhibitions already under its belt, the Temporäre Kunsthalle should be taken full advantage of.
Despite the title of the current exhibition Squatting this is not another display of ‘squat art’ that has been recently re-popularised in the European cities of London, Berlin and Paris, but features some galvanizing work from contemporary artists such as On Kawara, Michael Schmidt and Annika Eriksson: The exhibition’s full title Squatting: erinnern, vergessen, besetzen “takes as its point of departure a form of memory that is not only backward-looking. This active form of remembering—and forgetting.”
The exhibition is divided into several sections: installations within temporary rooms or structures, videos within tents or compartments, and even a fence that runs mid way through the exhibition which visitors gingerly navigate their way round. There is plenty on display to pick your way over through and under. In order to see the entire show visitors must leave and re-enter the gallery thereby weaving together the pieces by their own movement: “attention centers on encounters between individual artwork and viewer.”
Diverse and stimulating this exhibition lends itself to the space handsomely, and although the work is varied in its quality it is certainly a worthwhile and complete group show. The strongest and most moving piece is a video by Gitte Villeson. Housed in a tent made of swathes of silk, her video has significant value both as an artwork and as a piece of documentary: the composed face of one woman unwittingly confesses so much sadness and sincerity, as she recounts her story.
Curator: Tilo Schulz in cooperation with Jörg van den Berg.
Artists:
Heike Kati Barath, Annika Eriksson, Carsten Fock, Franka Hörnschemeyer, Sven Johne, Šejla Kameri?, On Kawara, Thomas Locher, Antje Majewski, Olaf Nicolai, Anna Oppermann, Manfred Pernice, Bojan Šar?evi?, Michael Schmidt, Gitte Villesen, Simon Wachsmuth, Haegue Yang.
