Heidelberger Kunstverein

Mike Bourscheid conceived ›Idealverein‹ for the Luxembourg Pavilion at the 57th Venice Art Biennale, la Biennale di Venezia (2017), and continued developing it. As part of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver, he realized ›Idealverein‹ (2020) as a performance for six people. The clothing ensembles of numbered leather aprons, clogs, and iron frames circumscribe the performers’ movements. Rules command the course of the game advising for example who the performers team up with. At the same time, there is room for spontaneity allowing the performers to improvise their movements, gestures, and actions. He devised a playing field with a stand for his solo exhibition at the Kunstpalais Erlangen (2020/21). At the Heidelberger Kunstverein, Mike Bourscheid presents the current state of the work with video footage of the performance and a playing field adapted to the exhibition space.

Mike Bourscheid tells stories about gender identity, family habits, and cultural history through costumes, de-familiarised household objects, music pieces, and performances. In a sensitive and playful way, he seeks to change traditional understandings of the role of art in everyday life, from relationships to the workplace. Being the son of a seamstress and a welder, Bourscheid often uses his practice to confront clichés of male and female professions and roles.

Mike Bourscheid (*1984, Esch-sur-Alzette, LUX) lives and works in Luxembourg and Vancouver. He currently holds a working fellowship at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin. He studied at the University of Arts in Berlin and at the Université d‘Aix-Marseille in France. His works were part of numerous (inter–)national exhibitions e.g.: Kunstpalais Erlangen, DE (2020/21), Galerie Nosbaum Reding, Luxemburg, LUX (2020), Vancouver Art Gallery Offsite, Vancouver, CA (2019/20), K-Gold Temporary Gallery, Lesbos, GR (2020), Pensacola Art Museum, FL, USA (2019), MNHA, Luxemburg (2019), Kunstverein Braunschweig, DE (2018), Luxemburg Pavillon, 57. Biennale di Venezia, ITA (2017), Festival de la photographie, Arles, France (2017), Hamburger Bahnhof (2015).