Accident Blackspot – group show of 13 artists at Markus Winter in Berlin
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| Ali Smith |
The American artists Jim Lee and Rob Nadeau curate Accident Blackspot. Besides Ree Morton or Hanson/Sonnenberg, emerging artists like Ivin Ballen or Ian Pedigo are presented from January 18 till March 15, 2008.
Opening: Friday, January 18, 7 pm
Sculpture, painting and sound art reflect in their varied approaches the different possibilities of conceptual art. The title illustrates the metaphor of a collision place.
Markus Winter is pleased to announce the exhibition “Accident Blackspot,” featuring a group of artists that work with highly personal and idiosyncratic languages to proffer a challenge to contemporary mainstream aesthetics. The title, drawn from the cult-classic “Withnail and I,” refers to the road sign used to designate the scene of an accident on British roadways. And it is an apt metaphor for the work shown here, which cogently choreographs a collision between the orchestrated and the unintended. Working in a mode that has gained momentum in the last few years, these artists offer a jury rigged aesthetic approach with an emphasis on process and materiality, a conscious disregard for resolution or “finish” in the traditional sense, a slight hint of humor, and a flirtation with near constant failure. It is a scumbled and infected formalism, a congress of flotsam, teetering on the brink of self-destruction. It’s about taking chances, engaging in a desperate, yet somehow casual, search for meaning. This is the kind of work you’ve always wanted to make: unmediated and unpretentious, as if you are in your room, your world, listening to Brian Wilson’s “In My Room”, dreaming of possibilities and creating your own charged scene worthy of an Accident Blackspot.
- Rob Nadeau
Markus Winter, Chausseestraße 104, D- 10115 Berlin - GERMANY
Tel. +49 (0) 30 97 00 46 57 Fax +49 (0)30 97 00 46 76
www.markuswinter.com
For press: Bianca Limbach, presse@markuswinter.com
Gallery hours: Wed – Sat 2 pm – 6 pm and by appointment
Located in former East Berlin, Germany, Galerie Markus Winter was founded in October 2005.
The gallery focuses on international contemporary painting, sculpture, photography and video art with a keen interest in conceptualism and progressive media. Therefore, the exhibition space is designed to accommodate each artist’s project without compromise (allowing for the flexible alteration of the overall architectural structure), and hence provides each artist with a highly individual forum. The yearly gallery program consists of eight to ten exhibitions, including solo exhibitions, as well as curated group shows.
Since our first exhibition, which featured an installation by the acclaimed German video artist Marion Schebesta, we have supported progressive young and mid-career artists from Europe, Asia, and the United States, working in all media. These include: François Boué, Jean-Baptiste Bouvier, Jim Lee, Bryan Osburn and Matthew Abbott.
In addition, we represent members of the Düsseldorf-based artist collective "Konsortium", such as Lars Breuer, Julio Ernesto Herrera Flores and Deutsche Bank award recipient Sven-Ole Frahm.