The present (Gegenwart) is always twofold: a temporal state and what is currently, spatially present to us. The present finds its expression here and now. It refuses accessibility, because in the moment of reflection the present withdraws and momentarily becomes the past. Therefore, it can only be viewed reflexively and retrospectively. Only in hindsight and through the process of historicizing, it becomes clear what the present was all about, what defined this particular present – and the possibilities of its potential for the future. (っ^‿^)っ It is in the present, where change begins.
With Gegenwart we attempt to make the fleeting phenomenon of the present more tangible, in the context of an exhibition and performance project. In times of acceleration, fear of the future, and coming to terms with the past, this project draws attention to expressions of experiences of the present, and its reception in contemporary art. ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴ To accomplish these goals, we will periodically hold a large exhibition in Hamburg. Institutions, project spaces, as well as public spaces will become the stages and venues for exhibitions, performances, workshops, a conference and a club night.
At regular intervals over three years, we want to look at the changing and transforming present – each time with a different thematic focus. The first edition of the project is dedicated to the phenomenon of ‘youth’. This thematic focus is based on the fact that the phenomenon of youth is a specific agglomeration and a concrete expression of the here and now. In this context, ‚youth' is understood as a place and an episode in which the present becomes visible in a remarkable way. We do not assume the existence of 'the' youth, but rather, emphasize with 'doing' their performative production in discourses and practices. Often, the notion of youth is accompanied by several attributes, expectations and norms of being young. The French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu does not see youth as a naturally given phase of life: "Youth is only a word". ᕦ[᮰‿᮰]ᕤ Much more, it is a battlefield of political, ideological and moral-ethical conflicts, a metaphor for social change, progress and the future.
A project with Jasmina Al-Qaisi, Louis Backhouse, Elisa Barrera, Claire Barrow, Hilma Bäckström, Johanna Billing, Samantha Bohatsch, Hans-Christian Dany, Yeşim Duman, Paula Erstmann, Fashion House Limanka, Fatumata, Ella Fleck, Keira J Fox (New Noveta), Gerrit Frohne-Brinkmann, Anna Haifisch, Nschotschi Haslinger, Carsten Heinze, Hans Hemmert, Daniel Hopp, Florrie James, Nadine Janetzky (Manga Hamburg), Veit Laurent Kurz, Martin Karcher, Jil Lahr, Late Bloomer (Josefina Anjou and Niklas Büscher), Kristin Loschert, Marie Lüder, Nikolai Meierjohann, Aleen Solari, Paul Spengemann, Cole Sprouse, Vindicatri