Artist in Wonderland
28 October 2007 - 16 December 2007
Opening: 27 October 7-9 p.m.
Participating Artists:
Bergamot / Andrew Demirjian / Johan Grimonprez / Jarosław Fliciński/ Janez Janąa /Agnieszka Kalinowska / Andrzej Karmasz / Neeme KĂĽlm / Dominik Lejman / Robert Maciejuk / David Maljković / Agata Michowska / Alexandra Mitlyanskaya / Hanna Nowicka / Anneè Olofsson / Sini Pelkki / Killu Sukmit & Maari Laanemets / Johan Thurfjell / Anna Witkowska / Karolina Wysocka / Cui Xiuwen / Marek Zygmunt
Kurator / Curator: Agata Rogoś
The Baltic Sea Cultural Centre is pleased to present Artist in Wonderland, an exhibition that explores the reality of dreams, fairy tale and horror in everyday life and entertainment industry and society at large. The situation, in which we will find ourselves, just as Alice on the other side of the mirror seems to be from the beginning impossible. Nevertheless that's we ourselves, who decide what kind of reality we wish to participate in and what should be the shape of the land from our dreams. Alice's adventures will become the starting point for the exhibition's construction, which will be allocated in the mysterious and abandoned space, opening at the same time another doors of perception of the reality. What is the meaning of the "wonderland" nowadays, when we are encircled by the new media and technologies and are not able anymore to use our imagination, create one's own world, apart from the contemporary culture remix. But maybe we could? If we tried really hard ...So we have to deal with all the impacts that go after the technological development, sophisticated social and political life and all the impulses of the contemporary visual culture. "Artist in the Wonderland" is the exhibition with the references to the shape of reality and at the same time strongly rooted in the fairy tale, magic and miracles. Wonderland becomes then unreal space - the sphere of dreams and also the space sunken in the absurdity and nonsense. How could we define our situation - with void or surfeit?The shape of this visual tale will consist of the definitions of the artist's role in the contemporary reality. In what way can art influence the shape of reality, and to what extent is it only a gesture of Alice / Artist - to close her eyes and disappear in the Wonderland, where everything is possible, where our wonderment is multiply with every single situation. Are we able to create the fantastic reality with references to real world? Maybe our reality is too grim to carry us away into the land full of wonders, and maybe that's why it will be easier to sink into it? Mobility of contemporary societies also very strongly resembles Alice's adventures - instantly changing a place of living, we really seek something indefinable and nobody really knows, which way art and our times goes. This never ending curiosity, if on the other side of the mirror we will find something different and satisfying our desires is very challenging.
The exhibition will be presented in two venues - Old Town City Hall (Baltic Sea Cultural Centre), re:wizja gallery and Pomeranian Science and Technology Park in Gdynia.
Coorganizer:
Pomeranian Science and Technology Park
Artist in Wonderland is supported by:
Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Pomorskiego, Miasto Gdańsk, Miasto Gdynia, NDI, Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego, Generalny Konsulat Szwecji w Gdańsku, Ambasada Szwecji w Warszawie, Ambasada Estonii w Warszawie, Arctic Paper, FRAME Finnish Fund for Art Exchange
Media patrons:
Exklusive, Machina, A4, Zwierciadło, Radio Gdańsk, TVP3, Obieg, Trójmiasto.pl, Wrota Pomorza;
For more information / Images: Aleksandra Musielak: aleksandra.musielak@nck.org.pl, +48 507 196 221
Catalogue available online: www.wonderland.art.pl (launch 2 July)
Publication associated with the exhibition (available from 27 October)
Exhibition opening times:Tuesday - Sunday 12:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Thursday - free entrance 12.00 to 8.00 p.m.
TICKETS 2/5zł
