Contemporary Fine Arts

Christian Jankowski

15 Jan - 05 Mar 2016

© Christian Jankowski
Flock, 2002
video
Video (1 x Digital Betacam, 1 x DVD), 10:10 min, PAL, 4:3, colour, sound, English with subtitles (German, Spanish)
CHRISTIAN JANKOWSKI
Retrospektive
15 January - 5 March 2016

Contemporary Fine Arts is pleased to announce the exhibition “Retrospective” by Christian Jankowski, curated by Nina Hoss. This is our first collaboration with the 1968 born Christian Jankowski, one of the most important German artists of his generation. It very quickly became clear that the format of the exhibition should be a retrospective, which would otherwise normally be reserved for institutions.

The moment of role reversal runs like a red thread through Jankowski’s work. The artist is himself currently acting as curator for the “Manifesta” Biennial, which will open in June 2016 in Zürich. And so arose the idea to experimentally fill the curatorial role for “Restrospective”.

The exhibition, which will predominantly showcase a selection of cinematic works by the artist, was consciously timed to coincide with the Berlin Film Festival, the Berlinale 2016.

Jankowski expressed interest in having the exhibition curated by an actress. Intuitively, Nina Hoss was selected, as the artist is not at all familiar with the theatre scene.

The actress, who in turn had never heard of Christian Jankowski, spontaneously agreed and got to work at once. Various meetings in the gallery space and studio followed. Videos were viewed nightlong, and were later discussed and selected. The placing of the photos and installations were then defined.

The presentation will consist of three parts: a cinema, in which videos and films between 1992 – 2015 will be played; an exhibition space, where film sets and sculptural installations are reserved; and an area with TV works, which can be individually remote controlled by the visitors.

We will gladly provide a detailed film programme and their running times, as well as further information upon request.

“I had to occupy myself with Gorki at the weekend, next to your work [Note.: Christian Jankowski’s work], “Children of the Sun”, in which my character says to her painter / lover: Don’t speak, work! Accomplish something, so that everyone notices. Show us, that everything, the possibilities, the illimitability, the light, the warmth, the sun. Not always this negativity, for once no bounds, no limits. From today we must consider the commonalities and not always just the differences.” (Nina Hoss, December 2015)

Christian Jankowski’s work has been recognised in the past years in international institutions, such as the Macro in Rome, the Sala de Arte Publico Siqueiros in Mexico City, the Kunstmuseum in Stuttgart, the Center for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv, as well as at the Whitney Biennial in New York (2002), the Biennal in Lyon (1997), in Venice (1995), and in Berlin (2001).
 

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