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setembro 11, 2019
Nature - between Desire and Reality no Haus für Kunst Uri, Suiça
The international group exhibition Nature – between Desire and Reality is part of a transdisciplinary project that is bringing together art and science in dialogue. It is the cooperative work of Barbara Zürcher, Director of Haus für Kunst Uri, the freelance curator Dr. Bruno Z’Graggen, Zurich (Video Window), 36 Swiss and international artists and the literary and cultural scientist Prof. Dr. Boris Previšić of the University of Lucerne. The project consists of the exhibition, an accompanying publication, a three-day conference and a block seminar in the autumn semester of 2019.
The group exhibition From Amazonia to the Alps is curated by Barbara Zürcher and Dr. Bruno Z’Graggen. It demonstrates the great variety of ways in which contemporary art is questioning concepts of nature as well as the aesthetic approaches and poetic energy generated by such work. The exhibition spans a broad arc from Amazonia to the Alps. By illustrating global interrelationships it seeks to encourage us to reflect upon our own perception of nature against the background of accelerating climate change.
The almost 70 works in the exhibition represent a full range of artistic media: painting, drawing, sculpture, perfor- mance, photography, film, video and installation. One focus is provided by six artists from Brazil. The majority of the 27 positions are from Switzerland. Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Belgium are each also represented by one artist.
Alongside global relationships, local references are also highly present in the exhibition: on the one hand, in the shape of the landscape around Uri and the imposing mountain ranges that surround Haus für Kunst Uri and where the impact of climate change is becoming increasingly clear; on the other hand, through the historical connection with Heinrich Danioth (1896–1953), one of Uri’s most important artists, who spent his entire lifetime fascinated by Uri’s mountain landscape and people. Haus für Kunst Uri preserves a large part of his oeuvre on behalf of the Dätwyler Stiftung. A pavilion in the museum bears his name.
The accompanying publication by the curatorial team and Prof. Dr. Boris Previšić is published by edition pudelundpinscher (Wädenswil). This takes the form of an open dialogue between illustrations of the works and essays by four academics from the University of Lucerne in the areas of literary, cultural, legal and historical studies. These are complemented by texts from a Columbian expert in the field of forensic architecture from Goldsmiths University in London and the Vice Director of the Swiss Alpine Museum in Bern.
The texts tell of the gap between our perception of rapid climate change and the lack of effective political action, of the role of social solidarity and justice in sustainability, of legal, cultural and economic conflicts in the exploitation of the rainforest in Ecuador and Columbia, of changes in the use of Alpine forests since 1700 and of a future in which the Alps will be almost ice-free. All the texts address the existential question: What is the future of humanity and of the sustainable use of natural resources on our planet?
The international conference, which is being organised by the Stiftung Lucerna, is being held between 30th September and 2nd October 2019, two weeks after the opening of the exhibition. It is taking place in cooperation with the University of Lucerne, Prof. Dr. Previšić, Dr. Bruno Z’Graggen (Video Window) and Haus für Kunst Uri in three parts: the opening evening with the screening of five videos in the stattkino Luzern, a day at the University of Lucerne and a day at the exhibition in Haus für Kunst Uri. Keynote lectures will be delivered by the authors of the publication together with a specialist sustainability researcher from Stockholm and a Brazilian artist, who is also represented in the exhibition.
The block seminar from Prof. Dr. Boris Previšić at the University of Lucerne on the subject of “Nature and perception” rounds off the project in the autumn semester of 2019. One session of the seminar also takes place away from the university in Haus für Kunst Uri at the exhibition. Dr. Bruno Z’Graggen is accompanying the seminar. He is presenting an event by Video Window at the university that features works by Ursula Palla during which he is moderating a discussion with the artist, who addresses a broad range of nature-based subjects and is participating in the exhibition.
Nature – between Desire and Reality
From Amazonia to the Alps
Haus für Kunst Uri, Altdorf
Saturday, 14th September 2019, 17h30
15th September to 24th November 2019
Barbara Zürcher & Dr. Bruno Z’Graggen
36 Positions: Georg Aerni (CH), Judith Albert (CH), Claudia Andujar (BR), John Armleder CH), Caroline Bachmann (CH), Sammy Baloji (RDC), Mabe Bethônico (BR), Rodrigo Braga (BR), Mayo Bucher (CH), Chalet5 (CH), Heinrich Danioth (CH), Caetano Dias (BR), Quynh Dong (CH), Hanna van Dyck (BE), Saskia Edens (CH), Marianne Engel (CH), Lorenz Gelpke (D/CH), Cao Guimarães (BR), Marianne Halter & Mario Marchisella (CH), huber.huber (CH), Leiko Ikemura (CH), Silvan Kälin (CH), Stefan Karrer (CH), Isabelle Krieg (CH), Simon Ledergerber (CH), Katja Loher (CH), Cinthia Marcelle (BR), Ursula Palla (CH), Peter Regli (CH), Marcel Reuschmann (CH), Doris Schmid (CH), Roman Signer (CH), Jürg Stäuble (CH), Javier Téllez (VE), Daniel Wicky (CH), wiedemann/mettler (CH)