press release tobias madison 6 february 24 april 2016 press preview thursday, 4 february 2016, 11 a.m. opening friday, 5 february 2016, 7 p.m. Beginning on 6 February 2016 the kestnergesellschaft presents the solo exhibition»tobias madison «by the young Swiss artist. s artistic practice resists simple categorizations, but at its core is the fundamental question of self-determination and autonomy, the freedoms of art, the individual, and institutions today. has developed a concept especially for this show which encompasses the entire exhibition space at the kestnergesellschaft and examines the relationship between children and adults in the context of different social concepts of the»child«and pedagogical approaches. represents an expanded concept of artistic creation and works in various categories of art, including video, film, photography, sculpture, performance, and theater. His artistic practice is distinguished by a penchant for collaboration: he often also acts as a curator, editor, filmmaker, or author. Along with the question of the freedoms of art and art institutions, the point of departure of Madison s works is the examination of the omnipresent economization of all areas of modern-day life. In the entanglement of characteristics of public institutions, commercial galleries, cinemas, and exhibition spaces, Madison questions the way these places work in order to provoke an inquiry into their roles within society. The focus of the exhibition is a film developed by in collaboration with Marin Eze and former children of a nursery in the Hainholz district of Hanover. Based on Shuji Terayama s Japanese experimental film»emperor Tomato Ketchup«(1971), which shows a revolution by children over adults in a post-apocalyptic society, Madison uses the exhibition space of the kestnergesellschaft to develop a revision of this landmark film along with the children. But while the original film can be viewed as a political critique of historical leftist groups in Japan, Madison sees his revision, which makes reference to elements of traditional fairy tales, as a critique of»emperor Tomato Ketchup«itself. In contrast to Terayama s work, in which children become projections of adult concepts and ideologies, the actual staging in Madison s project only takes place in cooperation with the children. Madison, who has previously worked with children and young people for example, at the 2013 Carnegie International only determines the script and the film music, which was created by Stefan Tcherepnin, in advance. The new video thus becomes an experimental investigation of authorship and freedom of action, a discussion of the diktat of the artist as well as the possible freedoms for children and art. With his works, searches for new ways to confront the dialectics of individual, childlike action and children as projections of normative adult ideas between the poles of art and institutions and thus poses the fundamental question of individual self-determination in modern society.
The stage designer and art director Mathias Renner has been commissioned with the exhibition design and is also responsible for the set design of the film. Renner has chosen a selection of Madison s works for the interior of the exhibition, thus combining the experience of the film and a museum visit. Furthermore, the exhibition incorporates a series of portraits that Madison commissioned from the photographer Mathilde Agius. They show a professional child model presenting a sign with»lush«written on it. In reference to the viral marketing campaign by the band»lush«for its album»lovelife«(1996), the photos circulate as press materials, advertisements, and posters and point to the ambiguity of photography in today s visual culture as well as the dissolution of childhood as an economically inviolable space. (*1985 in Basel, lives in Zurich and Los Angeles) graduated in 2011 from the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Already during his studies, he exhibited in renowned international art institutions, including the Kunsthalle Basel (2007, 2010), The Modern Institute (Glasgow, 2013, 2014), Kunsthalle Zürich (2013), Fridericianum (Kassel, 2013), Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh, 2013). Curator of the exhibition: Assistant curator: Christina Végh Milan Ther Extra will leave a Coptic death mask at the kestnergesellschaft for the duration of the exhibition. This»Extra«will provide another lens through which to view the core themes of the exhibition and will be integrated into the accompanying public outreach programs at the kestnergesellschaft.
overview tobias madison exhibition dates 6 February to 24 April 2016 press preview opening catalog edition opening hours admission Thursday, 4 February 2016, 11 a.m. with Christina Végh, director of the kestnergesellschaft, and Milan Ther, assistant curator. The artist is present. Friday, 5 February 2016, 7 p.m. The artist is present. A catalog will be published in the form of a record that will include the soundtrack to the film as well as newly recorded children s songs, plus texts by, Christina Végh and Milan Ther, among others. Exclusively for members of the kestnergesellschaft, the edition»moon Unit«(named after Frank Zappa s daughter) by will be offered for sale, uniting editions by Yoko Ono and Olafur Eliasson. Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. 6 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. 8 p.m. Closed Mondays Good Friday, 25 March, 11 a.m. 6 p.m. Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, 27 and 28 March, 11 a.m. 6 p.m. 7, reduced admission 5 Free admission for members and children under 15 Free admission on Fridays»PSD Bank FreiTag«Tickets can be used for several visits until the end of the exhibition and can be passed on to others. sponsors Galerie Francesca Pia Zurich The Modern Institute Glasgow Freedman Fitzpatrick Los Angeles cultural partner The state of Lower Saxony supports the kestnergesellschaft. contact kestnergesellschaft communication phone +49 511 70120 16 kommunikation@kestnergesellschaft.de Press materials are available for download under the press section of www.kestnergesellschaft.de.
tobias madison 06 february to 24 april 2016 press images Press images may only be used for editorial coverage about the exhibition. Images may not be cropped or manipulated and must be printed in color. All rights reserved. Please include copyright and courtesy information.