COLLECTED VIEWS FROM EAST OR WEST
16 September - 19 December 2004
Generali Foundation
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 15
1040 Vienna, Austria
Phone +43 1 504 98 80
Fax +43 1 504 98 83
foundation@generali.at
The intention of this exhibition is, as part of a larger project, to reflect and, above all, to intensify the Generali Foundation’s commitment to art from Central and Eastern Europe (the CEE region). In contrast to the usual polarization of West and East, the emphasis here is put on interaction and parallel developments.
COLLECTED VIEWS FROM EAST OR WEST marks the beginning of a cycle of exhibitions on various themes addressed in the collection which will be accompanied by a series of theoretical publications.
The exhibition presents works by Marina Abramovic, Pavel Braila, Harun Farocki, Stano Filko, Andrea Fraser, Gorgona, Tomislav Gotovac, Dan Graham, Hans Hollein, Sanja Ivekovic, Milan Knizak, Julius Koller, Jaroslaw Kozlowski, Edward Krasinski, Andreja Kuluncic, Dalibor Martinis, Dora Maurer, Ewa Partum, Adrian Piper, Marjetica Potrc, Jozef Robakowski, Goran Trbuljak, Andrei Ujica and others.
Sharpened by post-colonial discourses, our ideas about the relationship of the West to the East-and vice versa-have changed dramatically. In exhibitions such as translocation (new) media art (1999), Re-Play (2000), double life (2001), and Designs for the Real World (2002), the Generali Foundation has already explored some important aspects. For some years now, artists from the CEE region have been featured in the program as a matter of course-both in exhibitions and the collection.
The present exhibition, COLLECTED VIEWS FROM EAST OR WEST, again raises the question of difference and interaction that determines the parallel developments in the different artistic movements. In keeping with the Generali Foundation’s major focus, emphasis is placed on the art of the 1960s and 1970s, happenings and actions, performance and conceptual art, as well as film, video and photography. Significant works by artists from former Eastern bloc countries enter into a dialogue with some of the most recent acquisitions of the Generali Foundation collection.
The fact that artists from the countries east of the so-called Iron Curtain did indeed participate in international art movements usually ascribed solely to the West is documented by catalogues of important international exhibitions of the time. There was an exchange of information and the opportunity to travel and take part in exhibitions such as the Biennale de Paris (1969 and 1971), Prospect 71 in Dusseldorf/Germany, Trigon in Graz/Austria (from 1963) or Works and Words (1979) in Amsterdam. Especially in the former Yugoslavia, in return, international artists were invited to exhibit their work there as well.
Curator: Sabine Breitwieser
Press contact: Susanne Buder, +43 1 504 98 80-24, found.presse@generali.at
For further information please visit: foundation.generali.at
