Pilvi Takala News: June 2011

She Devil 5 at Macro Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma

SHE DEVIL 5
MACRO
Via Nizza 138, corner of Via Cagliari V-Tunnel
25 June - 30 October 2011
Press Conference: June 24, 11 am Opening: June 24, at 19.00

In collaboration with STUDIO STEFANIA MISCETTI

MACRO - Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma presents "SHE DEVIL 5", the latest in the series of video screenings on the theme of female identity, named after the famous 1989 film by Susan Seidelman, and which alludes to the diabolic and bizarre spirit of female experience and investigation of everyday things.

Katharina D. Martin (Germany, 1971), Stick (2008), presented by Chiara Vigliotti Katarzyna Kozyra (Poland, 1963), Cheerleader (2006), presented by Lydia Pribisova; Jen DeNike (USA, 1971), Flag Girls (2007), presented by Benedetta Carpi de Resmini; Pilvi Takala (Finland, 1981), Real Snow White (2009), presented by Dobrila Denegri; Valerie LeBlanc (Canada), Walking on water (2009), presented by Elena Giulia Rossi; Kate Street (Great Britain, 1979), Flowering (2010), presented by Susanna Bianchini; Berni Searle (South Africa, 1964), Seeking Refuge (2008), presented by Antonia Alampi; Bahar Behbahani (Iran, 1973), Suspended (2007), presented by Maria Garzia; Janaina Tschäpe (Germany, 1973), Untitled/Scream (2004), presented by Laura Giorgini; Laurel Nakadate (USA, 1975), Oops! (2000), presented by Cristiana Perrella; Janet Biggs (USA, 1959), Brightness All Around (2011), presented by Manuela Pacella; Nina Lassila (Helsinki, 1974), Woman with Knife? (2009), presented by Maria Cristina Giusti; Julika Rudelius (Germany, 1968), Dressage (2009), presented by Caterina Iaquinta.

http://en.macro.roma.museum/
www.studiostefaniamiscetti.com

How to Work (More for) Less at Kunsthalle Basel

Image: Installation view of How to Work, Pratchaya Phinthong, Untitled, 2011

How to Work (More for) Less
Kunsthalle Basel
12 June–21 August 2011

Juliette Blightman, Tania Pérez Córdova, Raphael Hefti, Judith Hopf, Tobias Kaspar, Adriana Lara, Adrian Melis, Pratchaya Phinthong, Pamela Rosenkranz, Pilvi Takala & Projekt an der Rückwand / Back wall project: Pedro Wirz

Opening: Saturday, June 11, 2011, 7pm  Press preview: Friday, June 10, 2011, 11am

We are happy to announce the opening of the new exhibition, “How to Work (More for) Less”, at Kunsthalle Basel. The show has been developed as a series of modifications performed on the art works that constituted the previous group exhibition at Kunsthalle, which was entitled “How to Work”. In “How to Work”, we aimed at questioning all the different ways of working as an artist today. The exhibition brought together heterogeneous responses to the question of the basic motivations behind making art, the methods artists use, and the goals they want to achieve. The show investigated a range of contemporary modes of production, from the rhetorical elaboration of a typical studio practice to appropriation of existing cultural material or the blurring of boundaries between commercial and artistic work; from semi-clandestine, subversive operations in the public sphere to delegating work to a third party. These working methods and the strategies they represent can be traced back to several radical developments in 20th century art: the idea of questioning the exclusivity of artistic labor in Conceptual Art, the use of chance processes and found objects by Dadaists and Surrealists, but also Russian Productivism with its postulate of artistic work counting possibly as one of the types of non-alienated labor.

The idea was to continue working on the show that was already “there” and give it a new title: “How to Work Less”. This not only signals a productive interval in production; it also subverts the demand for absolute novelty that drives the majority of art exhibitions today and, at the same time, for shows whose premises and content are fully transparent, a commonly pursued objective in today’s contemporary exhibition operations. We hoped that by proposing to “work less” we could do more than that. One of the participating artists, Adriana Lara, points out that while emphasizing the declared wish to “work less”, the exhibition in fact requires substantial “brainwork” on the part of all participants (artists, curators, and audience alike) and ends up being more work intensive. In conclusion, Lara suggested a dialectic change of the title into “How to Work (More for) Less”, which was accepted as her contribution to the show.

Works seen in “How to Work” have been expanded, others rearranged, and still others shown in reduced form or even left out. Two more artists have been invited to “How to Work (More for) Less” who did not participate in “How to Work”: Judith Hopf and Pedro Wirz, with his special project of collaborative sculptural works for the back wall of the Kunsthalle.
As the constant increase of work efficiency, productivity, and profit is the core of capitalism, the refusal to work is an economic nightmare. The notion of “abandoning the workplace” or just “working less” critically addresses the distinction between work and leisure, which defines the capitalist organization of time. At the same time, taking a critical distance to work means more work—and this is what the artists in the show decided to do.

www.kunsthallebasel.ch

Pilvi Takala wins Prix de Rome 2011 Visual Arts

9th of June 2011 Pilvi Takala (FIN / NL, 1981) received the first prize Prix de Rome 2011 Visual Arts of € 45,000. The second prize of € 20,000 was awarded to Vincent Vulsma (NL, 1982). The two basic prizes of € 10,000 each were awarded to Priscila Fernandes (PT / NL, 1981) and Ben Pointeker (AT / NL, 1975). The award ceremony took place at SMART Project Space, Amsterdam. Also, the KPN Kunstprix was awarded to Petra Stavast, and the IMC Weekend Kinderjury announced Priscila Fernandes as their winner.

www.prixderome.nl

Act / OUT at Onomatopee

Act / OUT

a call for contact - a call for clash

Ann Messner (USA), Karl Philips (B), Anna Witt (AT), Albert Heta (Kos), Pilvi Takala (F/NL), Jan Rothuizen (NL), Filippo Minelli (I), Ahmet Ögüt (TR/NL), Jeroen Erosie (NL), Sebastian Stumpf (D).

10 / 06 – 10 / 07 / 2011

opening: June 10th, 8pm

+++ colour bomb launched by Filippo Minelli +++ drinks & music: Nina Grunenberg + Damien Fagnant 'A primera vista – palmeras para llevar' +++

artist talk: July 10th, 2pm — Sebastian Stumpf, Albert Heta

Act / OUT thematizes a variety of individual artistic acts in public space that evoke a persistent belief in the individual story. As gestures of subjective opposition they insert disconcerting moments into our daily, economically optimised procedures. Sediments on film, photo, in installation or drawing, show how the actions attract and repel, how they take shape in an interplay between beauty and subversion.

Sometimes in danger of being overshadowed by the recent attention for more conspicious urban interventions, there are artistic actions with a rather subtle, ambivalent tone using public space as their point of departure. Recognizing the public sphere as a diverse and agonistic discursive state, the exhibition assembles a varietyof approaches to “act out” that are inspired to intervene by political motives, metaphorical narratives or personal impulses. Aiming to blur the all too obvious imagery that determines our public sphere as well as our collective memory, the works range from playful and touching to the absurd and confronting. Therewith the artists introduce different perspectives on the current state of affairs. They stage exemplary situations that, in the act as well as transported to the exhibition room, both confront and
ensnare their public.

Act / OUT presents thus ten artists renegotiating our public sphere by engaging relationships between people, structures and modes of organization. The exhibition thus aims to broaden our perception of function in our spatial and social environment.

Too late, too little, (and how) to fail gracefully

Too late, too little, (and how) to fail gracefully
KunstFort Asperen

From 11 June until 25 September, the Fort of Asperen, part of the New Dutch Waterline, is the scene for a large international group exhibition curated by Bik Van der Pol.

Participating artists include: Lara Almarcegui, Tarek Atoui, Marc Bijl, André Cadère / Alain Fleischer, Critical Art Ensemble, Teddy Cruz, Martijn Engelbregt, Tim Etchells / Vlatka Horvat, Harun Farocki, Zachary Formwalt, Freddy Heineken, Runa Islam, Jeroen Jongeleen, Otto Karvonen, Jasper Niens, Navid Nuur, the Mobile Academy/Hannah Hurtzig, Cesare Pietroiusti, Åsa Sonjasdotter, Hito Steyerl, Pilvi Takala, Javier Téllez, Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas, The Yes Men, Artur Żmijewski.

The Fort of Asperen was erected in the 19th Century, but it was not until 12 April 1940 that the Fort was first prepared for war. Yet, the New Dutch Waterline became immediately obsolete as the German Luftwaffe flew over the Fort without problems; dropping their paratroopers far behind its defense line. This particular moment marked the end of the New Waterline's military function.

The system, although ingenious, never offered an adequate solution against 'intruders'. You could say the defense system was out-dated from the start, as it was based upon the outdated defensive principles of the first Dutch Waterline. To use this example as a metaphor we might question if it is at all possible, or desirable, for a society to try and keep out 'intruders' at all costs. The erected defense system turns out to be, despite all efforts, no match for the resourcefulness and imagination of the opponent who – often with amazingly simple means – escapes, breaks in, strikes back, or sets out another path.

Over time these 'means' have developed. Today, warfare follows a different trajectory, even more closely linked to economical and financial mobilization, the consequences of globalization and migration, technical innovation, and political interests. Warfare has developed a different guise. An important part of it takes place from afar; behind the keyboard, on the stockmarket, in the blogs and the media: places without any particular local fixture. Driven by economic efficiency and the growing influence of technical resources, an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of tools and strategies is developed to localize, identify, isolate, control and manipulate subjects. Speeded up by mass-media and populism, existence has become a rat-race to create the illusion of ultimate control and stability, set against the backdrop of capitalism, globalization and its related crises.

'Too late, too little, (and how) to fail gracefully' is inspired by the irony of Fort's military past. This summer the Fort will be home to a large scale multidisciplinary manifestation, that reflects on the impossibility and undesirability of building fortifications and creating expectations that are not (or cannot be) met. The project is articulated around the theme of 'intruders' and looks critically and with some irony to societal boundaries and barriers. When do we perceive the other as a threat? How are social barriers erected and how are these undermined? The manifestation strives, through artists projects and activities, to incite a broad audience to think about how territories are defined. Do borders indeed offer desired safety and protection? Or are they merely a mental construct?

The various artists projects and activities are developed under code-names, such as Trojan Horses, The Historical Fort, Early Warning Systems, Smokescreens and Camouflage, the Campaign and Infiltrators – opening the project to historical and contemporary issues, from ecology to warfare, internet developments and information terrorism, ownership and collectivity. The manifestation consists an exhibition and public program mediated by an imbedded publicity campaign, in the fort and its surroundings, with lectures, film screenings, installations, performances, and more.

Asperen, Langedijk 60, 4151 BR Acquoy, The Netherlands.
Acquoy is a small town in the proximity of Utrecht.
Open: Tuesday-sunday 10 am – 5 pm

www.kunstfortasperen.nl

KAAP Exhibition for Children

KAAP

Exhibition (not only) for Children

Fort Ruigenhoek, Utrecht

www.kaapweb.nl

Kaap is an exhibition of contemporary art consisting of new works made for the whole family. The exhibition will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on every weekend from 29 May to 10 July.

Artworks by artists from all over the world

The artistic management of this year’s Kaap was the work of Tiong Ang, artist and creator. He invited thirteen artists to take part. Each of them made a new work specially for Kaap. During the exhibition, each work will have an attendant guide to answer any questions about it. The idea of Kaap is that artists can find inspiration in the challenge of making work for children and in bringing out the essence of their art with absolute clarity. The work made for Kaap typically invites its public not just to look but also to take part.

Artists: Frank Koolen, Pilvi Takala, Yeondoo Jung, Birthe Leemeijer, Praneet Soi, Tintin Wulia, Rini Hurkmans and Hans Scholten, Erica van Loon, Mella Jaarsma and Nindityo Adipurnomo, Yoko Semaya and Lyndsey Housden

The fort location

Kaap is pure adventure, a trip of discovery through the bunkers and the greenery of Fort Ruigenhoek. The historic fort, which forms part of the 17th century New Dutch Waterline, lies on an island surrounded by open countryside. The bunkers and other buildings lie half-buried in grass, shrubs and trees.

Stichting Storm

Kaap is an initiative of Stichting Storm. This foundation works closely with artists and theatre makers on projects aimed at a youthful audience. Among other things Storm organizes the Tweetakt theatre festival in Utrecht.

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