»Dave«, 2013, Helmet shells, pigeon, 32 x 35 x 33 cm, Courtesy KOW, Berlin and Sammlung Gaby & Wilhelm Schürmann Michael E. Smith 21.11.2015 17.01.2016
Michael E. Smith 21.11.2015 17.01.2016 The work of the American artist (*1977, Detroit) is characterized by a sparing choreography of the exhibition space. Working in painting, drawing, sculpture, and video, he addresses fundamental aspects of the human condition and the themes of growth and decay. He draws his inspiration and materials from everyday urban realities, the streets of America, and a range of contemporary social contradictions. Conceived specifically for the, the exhibition presents the artist s sculptures, installations, and videos. Staging and Process The exhibition of begins as soon as one enters the Künstlerhaus Hannover. Wall texts, directional signs showing how to navigate the building, and other communication media have been removed. This gesture of taking away and paring down all distracting elements is an important primary characteristic and a constitutive element of all Michael E. Smith s exhibitions. More than simply deleting, Smith is most concerned with using this strategy to achieve a form of concentration allowing the viewer to focus on what is essential. His radical spatial constellations invite to concentrate to focus entirely on the art and the given space. He thereby achieves a spherical mode of installation that inscribes itself into the space; objects are arranged in corners, on the floor, and in other places that may seem random and incidental on the first impression. After a year of preparation in his studio, the artist arrived, bringing with him finished, halffinished, and still-to-be-completed works in addition to a variety of materials. Over a ten-day work period, during which the Kunstverein served as his studio, Smith meticulously assessed, altered, and arranged his working materials in relation to the space and given lighting situation. Only after this process did the things attain a status of completion, fulfilling definition of the finished work of art. This surprising and unusual way of working is maintained by Smith without deviation or compromise. Background s hometown of Detroit could be described as the main inspiration for the mood that pervades his works. The city is emblematic of disappearances, specifically the dwindling of its (in most cases white) population, which was spurred by the demise of (the automobile) industry. As frequently discussed, Detroit also represents the abandonment of a city, which is now plagued by poverty and crime; Detroit has become a symbolic remnant of both a metaphorical and actual society.
Something that has also defined the city is its off-culture, the hip-hop and techno, for which Detroit has become famous. Drug and jail experiences are reflected in the cold, mechanical beats and texts, as are tragic personal stories and a painful sense of hopelessness. Even if they require on a certain degree of knowledge to decode, these references to the music scene are representative of realities that Smith intently observes, endures, and perhaps even experiences ultimately allowing them to flow into his works. In his new video works, which are being premiered in Hanover, Smith makes reference to consumer society, to hyped symbols and brands of athletic shoes, for example. Through his interventions, such items seem to literally sink into themselves or undergo other forms of decay. The reference to the body and its function as a robot or cog in a well-oiled system particularly comes to the fore in Smith s films, which are always structured by short sequences and never entail a narrative storyline. Materiality In addition to industrially produced everyday objects and scraps of refuse, such as articles of Billboard tarps on Highways, birdcages, sleeping bags or hot water tanks, the artist works with natural and organic found objects, including dead animals and seed pods. He often joins these materials with tape, pieces of iron, paint, layers of color, and elements produced by 3D printing. The complexity of the objects becomes evident through their theatrical arrangement in the space. is an artist who not operates conceptually with given contexts while working with the expressive potential of diverse materials forming, building up, taking away, layering, etc. He transforms his materials into unique works of art, thus forming sculptures and installations out of things and bodies. Despite the way in which Smith reworks materials, objects, and bodies remain recognizable as such. They seem encrusted or scarred and become discrete physical entities, without directly referring to humanity. Nevertheless, they speak volumes about the human individual and all its social roles and emotions. Exhibition Curator Kathleen Rahn Catalogue and Edition A catalogue for the exhibition at and De Appel Arts Centre in Amsterdam will be published in March, 2016. An edition for the will appear.
Contact and Information Press Contact Birte Heier T +49 511.169927812 presse@kunstverein-hannover.de Press material is also available as a download at: /presse Opening Hours Tuesday Saturday 12.00 19.00 Sunday and Bank Holidays 11.00 19.00 Closed: 24.12. und 31.12.2015 Admission 6 / 4 concessions / free for members Editions at the»kunstsalon«parallel to the exhibition we will show a presentation of old and new editions by Ketuta Alexi- Meskhishvili, Björn Behrens, Carina Brandes, Thomas Ganzenmüller, Christiane Gruber, Peter Heber, Dietmar Lutz, Christiane Möbus, Jean-Luc Moulène, Claudia Piepenbrock, and Michael E. Smith at the. Sponsors The exhibition has been made possible through the support of Stiftung Niedersachsen and The Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony. The Kunstverein is institutionally sponsored by the State Capital of Hannover.
Biography *1977 in Detroit (MI, USA) Lives and works in Providence (RI, USA) Solo exhibitions (selection) 2015 De Appel, Amsterdam (NL) SculptureCenter, Long Island City, New York (USA) 2014 MoMA PS1, Long Island City, New York (USA) Zabludowicz Collection, London (GB) Power Station, Dallas (USA) La Triennate di Milano, Milan (I) 2013 CAPC musée d art contemporain de Bordeaux (F) Ludwig Forum, Aachen (DE) 2012 Culturgest, Lisbon (P) 2011 Mönchehaus Museum, Goslar (DE) 2008 Ackerstraße 18, Berlin, curated by Nikolaus Oberhuber Group exhibitions (selection) 2014 The Registry of Promise of Moving Things, Centre d art contemporain d ivry le Crédac, Ivry-sur-Seine (F) Vom Dasein & Sosein. Skulptur, Objekt & Bühne, Frankfurter Kunstverein (DE) 2013 After Nature, Arbeiten aus der Sammlung Gaby und Wilhelm Schürmann, Collectors House, Sittard (BE) Anonymus. Eine Ausstellung über den Gegenwert, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein Potsdam (DE) 2012 Whitney Biennial 2012, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (USA) Les Ateliers de Rennes Biennal for Contemporary Art (F) 2010 The Unreadymade, Formcontent, London (GB)
Press Press images 21.11.2015 17.01.2016»Dave«, 2013 Helmet shells, pigeon 32 x 35 x 33 cm Photo: Alexander Koch / KOW Courtesy KOW, Berlin and Sammlung Gaby & Wilhelm Schürmann»Untitled«, 2015 Prisoner transport seat, sunflower 193 x 152,4 x 43,2 cm Courtesy and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York»Untitled«, 2015 Video-Still Courtesy and KOW, Berlin
Press Press images»untitled«, 2015 Fabric, plastic 42 x 41 x 27cm Photo: Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk Courtesy and KOW, Berlin»Untitled«, 2013 Plastic chair, saw 96 x 55 x 95 cm Photo: Alexander Koch / KOW Courtesy Gaby and Wilhelm Schürmann, Herzogenrath Installation view SculptureCenter, New York, 2015 Photo: Kyle Knodell The press images are only free for report. Naming of the Copyright- and Courtesy is obligatory.