WHO IF NOT WE SHOULD AT LEAST TRY TO IMAGINE THE FUTURE OF ALL THIS?
7 Episodes on Ex(Changing) Europe
17 September 2004 - 30 January 2005
Yara Cavalcanti Araujo, info@cp2004.nl, +31-6-21 22 53 35
episode 1, SURFACING
Ludwig Museum Budapest-Museum of Contemporary Art, Hungary
17.09-24.10.2004 www.ludwigmuseum.hu
Curator: Livia Paldi
Artists: Yael Bartana, Rineke Dijkstra, Gerard Holthuis, Rob Johannesma, Johan van der Keuken, Sebastian Diaz Morales, Aernout Mik, Jeroen de Rijke/Willem de Rooij, Joke Robaard, Barbara Visser
episode 2, TIME AND AGAIN
Stedelijk Museum CS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
23.10.2004-30.01.2005 www.stedelijk.nl
Curators: Leontine Coelewij, Geurt Imanse
Artists: Little Warsaw (Balint Havas/Andras Galik), Jan Mancuska, Deimantas Narkevicius, Paulina Olowska, Roman Ondak, Tadej Pogacar and Wilhelm Sasnal
episode 3, CORDIALLY INVITED
BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Centraal Museum, Utrecht (additional venue), The Netherlands
31.10-31.12.2004 www.bak-utrecht.nl
Curators: Maria Hlavajova, Gerardo Mosquera
Artists: Academic Training Group, Francis Alys, Joze Barsi, Otto Berchem, Monica Bonvicini, Mona Hatoum, Julius Koller, Jiri Kovanda, Denisa Lehocka, Mapping Worlds, Nomads & Residents/Bik van der Pol, Roman Ondak, Boris Ondreicka, Amalia Pica, Wilfriedo Prieto Garcia, Marko Raat, Mindaugas Ratavicius/Giedrius Kumetaitis, Jeroen de Rijke/Willem de Rooij, Ene-Liis Semper, Monika Sosnowska, Felix Gonzalez-Torres
episode 4, OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Witte de With, center for contemporary art, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
07.11.2004-09.01.2005 www.wdw.nl
A project by Peter Friedl
Curator: Catherine David
episode 5, SAFETY AND PEACE! ORDER AND FREEDOM!
Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana, Slovenia
08.11-05.12.2004 www.mg-lj.si
Curator: Igor Zabel
Artists: Atelier van Lieshout, Joost Conijn, Job Koelewijn, John Kormeling, Maria Pask, Edwin Zwakman
episode 6, OLANDU BIURAS-VILNIUS
Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), Vilnius, Lithuania
20.11.2004-09.01.2005 www.cac.lt
Curator: Kestutis Kuizinas
Artists: Atelier van Lieshout, Hendrik-Jan Hunneman, Lucas Lenglet, Gabriel Lester, Job Koelewijn, Maria Pask, Jennifer Tee, Dre Wapenaar, Edwin Zwakman
episode 7, EDWARD KRASINSKI’S STUDIO
Foksal Gallery Foundation, Warsaw, Poland
12.2004 www.fgf.com.pl
Curators: Joanna Mytkowska, Andrzej Przywara
In collaboration with: Bar Architecture Studio, Rotterdam and Marcin Kwietowicz, Warsaw
The project Who if not we should at least try to imagine the future of all this? 7 episodes on (ex)changing Europe consists of seven new exhibitions and a number of additional activities throughout Europe as part of Thinking Forward, a cultural program organized on the occasion of the Dutch presidency of the EU. The title Who if not we…? points to the primary motivation: to interpret this political occasion as a unique opportunity to modestly appeal to European artists and intellectuals to take active part in creating a new reality through their artistic- and knowledge production.
Each of the seven episodes explores this potential from a different perspective. The exhibitions articulate different sub-themes that refer to the issues, challenges and urgencies of our time in Europe and in particular in the ten new EU member states and the Netherlands. The exhibitions revolve around issues such as different concepts of time, the culture of corporate cooperation, social regulation and individual liberty, and migration and hospitality, as well as the aesthetic concepts that accompany them. In a complimentary manner these themes encompass a broad range of questions with reference to today’s reality, which artists and intellectuals rearticulate in an artistic context and from within different perspectives.
A book published by Artimo and designed by Kummer & Herrman, Utrecht accompanies the project and includes essays written by (among others): Etienne Balibar, Ole Bouman, Robert Fleck, Boris Groys, and Slavoj Zizek. A number of further projects have been developed around these main parts such as conferences, artists’ talks, film screenings, etc. in cooperation with, among others: Archis, a magazine on architecture, city and visual culture and Metropolis M, a magazine on contemporary art.
Who if not we…?, the visual art component of Thinking Forward, has been developed and curated by Maria Hlavajova . Thinking Forward is the cultural program for the Dutch presidency of the European Union in 2004 and consists of a variety of cultural activities in the Netherlands as well in the ten new member states of the EU. The program is an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and is commissioned by the Fund for Amateur Art and Performing Arts and the Mondriaan Foundation. www.thinkingforward.nl
