HEIDELBERGER KUNSTVEREIN›AMATEURISM‹
Group Exhibition with
Heike Bollig, Jan Bünnig, Luis Camnitzer, Sister Corita, Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys, Heike Klussmann & Bau Kunst Erfinden, Toru Koyamada, Annette Krauss, Melton Prior Institut, Toshiko Okanoue, Lucy Powell, PROVENCE, Jewyo Rhii
Opening August 24th 2012 | 19 h
Exhibition August 25th - November 4th 2012
Curators: Dr. Miya Yoshida & Susanne Weiß
The exhibition AMATEURISM examines the phenomenon of the amateur in contemporary art and explores the question of how and why so-called amateur-ism forms an attitude and a strategy. The historic starting point of the exhibition are the satirical contributions of the Parisian pre-avant garde group "Les Art Incohérents" (from the 1880s-1890s). This French movement placed itself against elitist aesthetics of exclusion and celebrated their radical deviation with the slogan "Do what you are not professional in". New meaning is given to this incoherent slogan with the juxtaposition of Sister Corita Kent, working in the 1950s, and current artistic positions like those of Heike Bollig or Jan Bünnig, whose works break down the hierarchy of materials and undermines the logic of capitalist values.
In cultural history, the figure of the amateur derives from the tradition of the "Dilettante" arising in the 18th century. The term described the "pure" passion of aristocrats who created art out of their own curiosity and pleasure. But as the demands of a growing division of labor in an industrialized society changed, the term dilettantism became synonymous with incompetence. For the past several decades, due to the global spread of information on the Internet and widespread public access to formerly specialized knowledge, the amateur has become more prominent in society.
This international group exhibition is accompanied by workshops, lectures and guided tours. The exhibition AMATEURISM is the second exhibition on the theme of Amateurism that Dr. Miya Yoshida has curated. AMATEURISM is co-curated by Susanne Weiß.
Eugène Bataille (Sapeck), Mona Lisa With a Pipe
Illustration for Coquelin Cadet, Le Rire,
1887
Courtesy of Melton Prior Institut
Luis Camnitzer, "Der Kunstverein ist eine Schule", Heidelberger Kunstverein 2012
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Opening Hours | Tu, We, Fr 12-19h, Thu 15-22h, Sat-Sun 11-19h