Palindrom. Oben und unten mit Rex Whistler & Friends – Kuratiert von Tom Holert und Michael Dreyer

PALINDROM
Oben und unten mit Rex Whistler & Friends
curated by Tom Holert und Michael Dreyer
29.10. – 21.11.2009, Opening 29.10.2009 at 7 pm


Contributing artists: André Butzer, Anne-Lise Coste, Michael Dreyer, Julian Göthe, Judith Hopf, Jutta Koether, Ronald Kolb, Karl Orton, Marion von Osten, Josephine Pryde, Felix Reidenbach, Alexander Rischer, Volker Schartner, W. O. Scheibe, Klaus Weber, Heidemarie von Wedel and Rex Whistler.

The exhibition “PALINDROM. Oben und unten mit Rex Whistler & Friends” and the publication of the same name both examine forms of reversion and backward movement (Greek: palindromos) on different levels. The Janus faces by the British artist Rex Whistler published in “¡OHO!” in 1946 provided the stimulus to ask artists for contributions with regards to the phenomenon of reverse images and / or the visual world of dandyist nostalgic Whistler.

Additionally Rex Whistler's illustration works will be displayed in showcases. The compilation of all these works – comprising drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures, videos and animation – creates the project's core with its basic intention to research the idea of humour at the crest between art and manual diligence. As a side effect this was also meant to revive the genre of commissioned works of art in a minor key – putting quite some strain on the artists. The publication designed by Biotop 3000 (Ronald Kolb and Volker Schartner) documents all pieces of work and puts them into historical and theoretical context with three texts by Tom Holert and Michael Dreyer.

The exhibition “PALINDROM. Oben und unten mit Rex Whistler & Friends” takes place at Hermes und der Pfau – Project Space for Contemporary Art and at W. O. Scheibe Museum, Stuttgart.

Tom Holert is an art historican, publicist, occasional artist and is teaching at Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna. In the 90s he was editor of Texte zur Kunst and co-pulisher of Spex. Besides contributions on artists such as Katja Davar, Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Sanja Ivekoviç, Danica Dakiç, Omer Fast or Jeroen de Rijke/Willem de Rooj as well as numerous articles at Texte zur Kunst, Artforum, taz, Süddeutsche Zeitung etc. 2008 Tom Holert's book “Regieren im Bildraum” was published by Polypen/b_books.

Michael Dreyer is an artist and author and teaches at Merz Akademie, Hochschule für Gestaltung in Stuttgart. Past exhibitions include “Abschaffung von Prügelstrafe”, Grazer Kunstverein, Graz, Galerie Meerrettich, Berlin, Filmwinter Stuttgart (all 2004) as well as “Pianistin eine Aufnahme ‘elektronischer Klänge’ von Stockhausen anhörend”, Künstlerhaus Stuttgart (2006). Group exhibitions include “Shandyismus – Autorschaft als Genre”, curated by Helmut Draxler, Secession Wien and Kunsthaus Dresden (2007) and “Kommando Giotto di Bondone”, Galerie Gìo Marconi, Milan (2008). Articles: “Als die Institutionskomik noch geholfen hat”, in: Texte zur Kunst Nr. 68 and “Zustände!”, in: Newspaper for the exhibition “Soziale Diagramme”, 2008, curated by Axel Wieder and Jesko Fezer, Künstlerhaus Stuttgart.



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