Barbarians of the Upper-Class – Masquerades of Systemic Violence
Opening: 07.11.2012, 19.00 / 7 pm
Duration: 08.11.2012 – 18.01.2013
Venue: ratskeller – Galerie für zeitgenössische Kunst Berlin
Artists: MERIÇ ALGÜN RINGBORG, MARIANNE FLOTRON, SØREN THILO FUNDER, FLORIAN GÖTTKE, NAOMI HENNIG, MIGRAFONA, OLIVIA PLENDER, PILVI TAKALA, FLORIN TUDOR & MONA VĂTĂMANU, KATARINA ZDJELAR
Curator: Sabine Winkler
www.barbaren-der-oberschicht.net
The term "barbarians of the upper class" is derived from a dictum of the British minister of justice Kenneth Clarke, who declared all participants of the riots – that took place in London in 2011 – as criminals and as "barbarians of the lower class". Premier David Cameron disposed severe punishments and actions of disciplining, fighting the "decline in values" as he called it. The politics of his Conservative Party, which supports the rich through neoliberal politics of tax privileges, endorsements of tax havens, etc. forced radical austerity programmes and cutbacks of the social sector. The systemic restructuring for the benefit of the upper-class does not only include financial and tax advantages, but also social-political agendas like the extreme increase of charges of tuition fees, of costs in education and healthcare, etc. David Cameron and his party denied any relation between this bottom-up redistribution and austerity policy and the riots. The exhibition deals with systemic and symbolic violence, often not apparent and anonymous, that provokes subjective violence as a reaction (often apparent, bound do individuals). The shown works explore different realms of systemic violence of capitalism, analysing different forms of masquerade, which are hiding this potential of violence. Immanent mechanisms of violence are central and not the agents of capitalism. Why systemic violence is so successful in acting invisible, without being discovered? Which masquerades are used? An ideologic masquerade, proclaiming social welfare for everybody, meaning in fact though the profit and richness of a few. The masquerade and the staging are perfectly hiding the fact, that there is not a moral pith, but a violent essence behind capitalism. What are the technologies of the adaptable and itself generating capitalism? What does these different masquerades of systemic violence hide and which role do they play within the social-political context?
Events
Friday, 09.11.2012, 7 pm
Artist talk
Florian Göttke: Toppled - Staging the Symbolic Fall from Power
Wednesday, 16.01.2013, 7pm
Context and Subtext
Artists discuss their methods of production
Naomi Hennig: Friendly Capitalist. Soros and the Politics of Giving Moderation: Seraphina Lenz in cooperation with the Institute of Art in Context Berlin University of the Arts, Department of Fine Arts
ratskeller – Galerie für zeitgenössische Kunst
Möllendorffstraße 6, 10367 Berlin, Tel.: 030-902963712
ratskeller@kultur-in-lichtenberg.de
www.kultur-in-lichtenberg.de
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 10am–6pm
Metro station: Frankfurter Allee (S41, S42, S8, S9, U5), Tram 16, M13
