State of Concept
Athens

»Idiopolis«

Dialectics between subject and society / Edition 2

 

Akim, Fabian Knecht, Leon Kahane and Fabian Bechtle, Marc Bijl, Stelios Karamanolis, Stella Geppert, Tula Plumi,Wermke/Leinkauf,

Willem Besselink, Ulf Aminde, Vincent Grunwald, Yorgos Sapountzis

 

The categories of “private” and “public” as fundamental definitions for our understanding of society may have become more relevant than ever before. Today the relations between “private” and “public”, respectively “subject” and “society”, shift to a general public, which is basically shaped by the private interests of a very few, a so called post democracy. Furthermore the lines between both categories dissolve evidently since the digital revolution forces an exponential interconnectedness of public respectively corporate interests with all aspects of human life.

 

What about the role of the artist in these circumstances? Can there be any other tasks for artistic operations than searching for beauty, personal expression and the production of artworks for the joy of private customers? Are there any other reasons for artistic activities? Is there a wider public to address? Are there other messages of art that directly interact with public processes? The exhibition series »Idiopolis« – Dialectics between subject and society follows these questions. It examines the tension between the initial, private impulse of an artist to get active and his final statement to a wider public.

 

While the first edition of »Idiopolis« (ed.1) was set in an abandoned house, the second edition of »Idiopolis« (ed.2) leaves architectonical and social conditions of one certain place. In the neutral atmosphere of the institutional exhibition place State of Concept the dynamics inside the dualism “individual subjectivity” – “collective consciousness” will be easier to comprehend. We show outstanding works from artistic operations worldwide as well as in Athens. The aim is to present an array of positions that operate with different strategies and results of artistic communication, participation and intervention in society today. From generating alternatives communities, to recording and transforming political “battlegrounds” up to interventions in urban surroundings, there is and has always existed a broad research by artists on the simple question: “How can I interact?”. We hope this exhibition will give some valuable insight views on the topic and open up the reflection about the effectiveness of each strategy.

Stephan Klee

 

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