The first part of our REALITY theme begins with work dealing with practical politics, activism, and involvement but also with humor.
br> The focus of the artistic approach centers not only on themes such as water- the ”blue Gold” of the future, tourism, new marketing strategies, macro- versus microstructures but also on forms of resistance, opposition to existing injustices as well as anti-globalization strategies.
Do you know the ionic toothbrush or have your fingertips ever made the acquaintance of the ”MULTIWONDER” vegetable grater? In his work, „Mama Loves Teleshop” , Oliver Musovik presents these and other, more or less useful, products which are sold worldwide via teleshopping and which partly have become cult objects. Musovik describes new processes of consuming and gives us insight into the psychology of consumers.
In her video-installation, ”How do you like the Philippines?”, Gerda Lampalzer juxtapositions the view of the tourist in the Philippines against the Philippine export products which she bought here in Vienna. She asks the question which is also the title of the work. As an answer she receives ”they serve you well” which she, however, understands as, ”they surf you well”. These ”mistakes” in hearing give one a sense of how complex the problem of tourism in Asia is.
Philippine activist and artist Corazon Amaya-Canete shows possibilities of resistance against exploitive systems. Photographs of the Philippine artist are included in the project ”Chat(t)er Gardens. Stories by Filipina Workers” by Moira Zoitl. The photographs document opposition to laws which are hostile towards migration passed by the Hong Kong government. 218,236 foreign home workers live in Hong Kong; 98 percent are women and 68 percent Philippines (Report ”The FRONTIER”). For the exhibition Moira Zoitl will produce a newsletter with information about the newest research results and aspects of the home worker theme.
In his film, „By Way Of Display“, Karl-Heinz Klopf explores the economic factor of the ‘Betelnut” in Taiwan. The Betelnut plays an important role in the pleasure culture of Taiwan. When chewed, the betelnut sends out a feeling of warmth through the stimulation of the central nervous system. Karl-Heinz Klopf trails the marketing of the drug, discovering architectural as well as actionistic treasures. On the most frequented streets, ”Betelnut Beauties” dressed in costumes inspired by Manga characters sell their goods from temporary glass boxes and are the social refuges for transit truckers and lonely hearts.
In her staged photographs, Miriam Schünke slips into the roll of a photo-spy investigating the power-center of water distribution – the LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power). ” ”terror totale-ein wüstenstück” (‘total terror – a desert piece’) is the portrait of a society, a city and its myth; at the same time, it is the expression of the powerlessness of the individual against powerful institutions”, says the artists and continues to ask the question, ” Who is terrorizing whom?”
Carla Bobadillas’s artistic work can be summarized under the motto „think global, act local“ Her themes deal with the problems of macroeconomy as well as the fatal consequences of the interdependence of economic systems. In her photo-documentation, ”Orte, die einladen” (‘Places that Becken’), she portrays small stores, many in the district of Favoriten. They represent local culture, identity and communication.
Since 2002 Kristina Leko has been working on an on-going project ”Cheese & Cream” which deals with the phenomena of the Zagreb dairy-women. These women are, on the one hand, exploited as marketing objects for tourism; on the other, their professional and financial existence is being threatened by an EU injunction. With her multimedia installation, Leko offers the audience the possibility to vote for the continuation of their existence.
A declaration can be signed on site.
Katharina Mouratidi is showing part of her photo-documentation, „Globale Gerechtigkeit-Portrait einer Bewegung“. (‘Global Justice-Portrait of a Movement’). From November 2002 to October 2004 she attended the largest and most important meetings of the anti-globalization movement world-wide. The results are life-sized, photo-portraits of and interviews with internationally well-known personalities like Claudia von Werlhof, José Bové, Vandana Shiva, Horst-Eberhard Richter and many others.
The artist asks them all the question: ”Why are you doing, what you are doing?” Translation: Beverly Piersol February 2005