KOW Podcast

KANN MAN POLITISCHE KUNST BESITZEN? Wolfgang Ullrich im Gespräch mit Mario von Kelterborn Moderation: Alexander Koch In seinem Buch Siegerkunst provozierte Wolfgang Ullrich mit der Behauptung, Kunst sei im 21. Jahrhundert „nicht mehr für die Betrachter*innen im Museum, sondern für die Reichen und Erfolgreichen“ da: „Bei Siegerkunst geht es um Besitz und nicht um Rezeption.“ Wo bleibt dann die politische Kunst? Und was besitzt man, wenn man sie kauft? Befinden wir uns in der Ära einer „neuen Kunst, die sich mit Aktivismus und Konsum verbündet“, wie Wolfgang Ullrich in seinem 2022 erschienenen Buch Kunst nach dem Ende ihrer Autonomie konstatiert? Mario von Kelterborn sammelt bevorzugt Kunst mit politischen Bezügen und verbindet damit den Wunsch, die Welt in ihren unzähligen Schattierungen ein wenig besser zu verstehen und mitzugestalten. Ihn interessieren die Turning Points in der Geschichte, die großen und kleinen. Aufgewachsen in Ostberlin und seit über 25 Jahren in Frankfurt am Main lebend, treibt ihn beim Sammeln auch der Wunsch, neue Ideen zu fördern, dabei immer einen moralischen Wertekompass beachtend, den nicht zuletzt die Kunst mit definieren kann. Die Veranstaltung fand am 15. Februar 2023 bei KOW statt. Eingeladen hatte Ludwig Seyfarth (Publizist ud Kurator) gemeinsam mit KOW.

Dmitry Vilesky and Olga Egorova/Tsaplya give a deep insight not only into Chto Delat's history and their individual relationship to language, but also into the political situation in Russia, which caused them to flee St. Petersburg in a hurry a few weeks ago. During the conversation, recorded in Brandenburg on October 31, 2022, they share their knowledge about historical and current cultural struggles in Russia, and they also share their feelings about dehumanization, tenderness and their new situation as political refugees in Germany. What does it mean for them to be Russian artists today? And what will they do in the future? Dmitry Vilesky and Olga Egorova/Tsaplya co-founded the Russian collective Chto Delat in 2003. Since then they have collaborated on numerous exhibitions and publications worldwide. Since many years Chto Delat is considered to be the most important voice of contemporary art from Russia.

PART 2 Renzo Martens became widely recognized almost overnight when he first published his film Enjoy Poverty in 2008. This film became one of the internationally most debated art works due to its stark provocation. The conversation with Alexander Koch looks deeply into Martens motives to play the controversial role in the art world that he has chosen to assume. It adresses the fundamental inequalities that fund and shape contemporary art, showing artworld insiders how complicit they are in the violence they may believe to critique while actually perpetuating an extractivist modus operandum. This is not just a podcast - it is in parts a manifesto for fair play, for justice and equality, for restitiution, and for an overdue change of the institutions and economics of (critical) art. 

PART 1 Renzo Martens became widely recognized almost overnight when he first published his film Enjoy Poverty in 2008. This film became one of the internationally most debated art works due to its stark provocation. The conversation with Alexander Koch looks deeply into Martens motives to play the controversial role in the art world that he has chosen to assume. It adresses the fundamental inequalities that fund and shape contemporary art, showing artworld insiders how complicit they are in the violence they may believe to critique while actually perpetuating an extractivist modus operandum. This is not just a podcast - it is in parts a manifesto for fair play, for justice and equality, for restitiution, and for an overdue change of the institutions and economics of (critical) art.   

Alice Creischer ist eine der herausragenden Denkerinnen der politischen Kunstszene in Deutschland. Als Künstlerin, Theoretikerin, Kuratorin und Dichterin hat sie in 35 Jahren ein Werk geschaffen, das den postkolonialen Diskurs und die Kritik an neoliberaler Gewalt mitgestaltet hat. Dabei ist ihr Werk voller fragiler Schönheit, Vorstellungskraft und Empathie. In diesem Podcast taucht Alice Creischer tief in die Bedeutung von Sprache und Poesie ein, die seit jeher für ihre Praxis wesentlich sind. Das Gespräch mit ihrem Galeristen Alexander Koch bietet intime Einblicke in ein bemerkenswertes Künstlerleben.

Heinrich Dunst ist ein brillanter Geist, dessen künstlerisches Werk sich auf einzigartige Weise zwischen Sprache, Form und Material hin und her bewegt. Was lässt sich sagen und was lässt sich zeigen? Was verbindet Worte und Bilder – und was trennt sie? Im Gespräch mit Alexander Koch wird deutlich, wie fundamental diese Fragen in unsere Realität hineinreichen und warum sie eminent politisch sind.

https://www.kow-berlin.com/exhibitions/latest-news

Michael E Smith Untitled, 2021 Sled, plant, ink pen On view at Art Basel 2022 Recorded June 12, 2022

Anna Ehrenstein explains her work to KOW's Alexander Koch. Quantum Time On, 2021 Print on canvas, fabric 150 x 90 x 5 cm On view at Art Basel 2022 The conversation was recorded June 13, 2022

Simon Lehner and KOW's Alexander Koch talk about Lehner's latest work. Retina Riders, 2001-2022 Acrylic on unique foam plate lens-based CNC painting 200 x 170 x 11 cm On view at Art Basel 2022 The conversation was recorded June 12, 2022

Barbara Hammer The Dream, 1969/1971 Oil crayon, gouache, acrylic on paper 121.7 x 102.3 cm On view at Art Basel 2022 Recorded June 12, 2022

Santiago Sierra and KOW's Alexander Koch talk about one of Sierra's iconic and controversial works.  10 inch line shaved on the heads of two Junkies who received a shot of Heroin as payment. 303 Fortaleza street. San Juan DE Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico. October 2000   Chromogenic print b/w Ed. of 5 + 1AP 150 x 224 cm On view at Art Basel 2022 The conversation was recorded June 12, 2022

A conversation between Collier Schorr and Michael Clegg (of Clegg & Guttmann) about Schorr's exhibition Day for Night (1992/2021) and their past collaboration.  The show is presented by Modern Art London and is part of the Joint Ventures program at KOW.   More information on Collier Schorr's exhibition at KOW: https://kow-berlin.com/exhibitions/joint-ventures-collier-schorr    Michael Clegg:  https://kow-berlin.com/artists/clegg-guttmann    Modern Art London: https://www.modernart.net/ 

KOW Podcast 5 - Artist Talk - Chto Delat about the work "One Night In A Social Network. An Opera Farce"   A conversation with Dmitry Vilensky of Chto Delat an KOW's Alexander Koch on the latest video work "One Night in A Social Network. An Opera Farce" that is currently available as an online exhibition on the KOW website: www.kow-berlin.com   More information on Chto Delat and their other projects: https://kow-berlin.com/artists/chto-delat

Anna Ehrenstein and Heiko-Thandeka Ncube speak about the racial politics of the Berlin and wider German art scene on the occasion of the rise of neofascism and anti racist protest in Germany. (recorded in August 2020)   Anna Ehrenstein's & Heiko-Thandeka Ncube's article about racism in the German art scene (only in German): https://www.gallerytalk.net/kunstgriff-ins-klo-rassismus-im-deutschen-kunstbetrieb/   Anna Ehrenstein: https://kow-berlin.com/artists/anna-ehrenstein Heiko Thandeka-Ncube: http://heikothandekancube.com  

Henrike Naumann in conversation with Sohrab Mohebbi (Curator, SculptureCenter, NYC) - as part of Art Basel OVR 2020.   More info on Henrike Naumann's work including images of the discussed works: https://kow-berlin.com/artists/henrike-naumann   About Sohrab Mohebbi: Sohrab Mohebbi, Curator-at-Large Sohrab Mohebbi is responsible for organizing exhibitions, educational and public programs, publications, and for coordinating all aspects of program presentation. Before joining SculptureCenter in 2018, Mohebbi was the associate curator at REDCAT where he organized solo exhibitions with Dave Hullfish Bailey, Tamara Henderson, John Knight, and Falke Pisano among others. His group exhibitions include: It is obvious from the map (co-curated with Thomas Keenan), which examined the role of maps and map-making in the movements of large numbers of people from the conflict zones of the Middle East and Africa toward Europe, and Hotel Theory (curated in collaboration with Ruth Estevez). Hotel Theory focused on the performance of theory in contemporary art and considered theory as an art form and received The Emily Hall Tremaine Exhibition Award in 2013. Mohebbi was a Curatorial Fellow at Queens Museum where he organized Hassan Khans Hidden Location, the artists first museum exhibition in the United States. He is the recipient of 2012 Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Program for the blog presencedocuments. His writings have been published in Bidoun magazine, where he is a contributing editor, as well as other periodicals and publications. He is an advisor at the Rijksakademie, Amsterdam and has organized exhibitions and programs for organizations including the Walker Art Center, High Desert Test Sites, SALT Istanbul and Center for Historical Reenactments. He received an M.A. from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and a B.F.A in Photography from Tehran Art University. (from: https://www.sculpture-center.org/about/6870/board-staff)

KOW Podcast 2 - Artist Talk - Mario Pfeifer in conversation with Gaëtane Verna (Director, The Power Plant Toronto)   On the occassion of Art Basel's 2020 Online Viewing Room Gaëtane Verna spoke to Mario Pfeifer about his recent works - especially "Again" and "Blacktivist" - that were both exhibited at Pfeifer's solo show at the Power Plant in 2019.     https://kow-berlin.com/artists/mario-pfeifer http://www.thepowerplant.org/

KOW PODCAST 1 Calling Artists Franz Erhard Walther in conversation with Alexander Koch about his work "Körperformen Weinrot" from 2013.