Crossing Media

Cat. Villa Merkel Esslingen

Exhibition catalogue, ed. by Andreas Baur
texts (German/English) by Andreas Baur, Anne Horny, Tina Plokarz, Anka Wenzel
536 p with 500 coloured illustrations
150 x 95 mm, softcover with dustjacket

ISBN 978-3-86442-071-9

24,80 €

Art as a Stage

»Crossing Media« is the name of the format now to replace the photo triennial first held in 1989 in Esslingen, which is also being expanded to include a festival comprising video presentations, performances, readings, discussions and concerts. The keyword »crossover«, i.e. the blurring and infusing of genres and disciplines, no longer describes such new things, it’s true, but does apply as a process to a lot of that which contemporary art denotes. Such a crossover process not only gives rise to those works of art that are surprising to our viewpoints and other modes of experiencing them, but it once again makes it apparent that within art there can be no more standard explanations. All artistic works and actions, especially at this festival, share the fact that they refer back to a stage-like presentation or display for their comprehension and presentation. Even as visitors arrive in the spacious entrance hall of the villa, they are surprised by a delicate construction by Banks Violette with a gleaming black stage floor and ceiling, from which a jumbled assortment of neon tubes appears to fall; it bears the title »Kill Yourself«. Or in the next room, where a large, empty sculpture plinth stands carefully illuminated on a red carpet in the floor space: this is »Public Sculpture« by Julien Berthier. Walking around the work visitors are transported by the artist’s symphonic hammer strikes on bronze statues in the open space into an ephemeral sound situation – or one might even say they are surrounded with a sculpture of sound. These examples are representative of many others by the 17 artists exhibited, as compiled in this comprehensive volume. Other participants of »Crossing Media. Art as a Stage« include Nevin Aladag, Birgit Brenner, Daniele Buetti, Kurt Caviezel, Beate Engl, Rainer Ganahl, Johan Grimonprez, Paul Harrison/John Wood, Christine Hill, Eva Kotátková, Jung Lee, Alexandra Leykauf, Atelier van Lieshout, Andres Lutz & Anders Guggisberg and Philippe Ramette.

Exhibition:
Villa Merkel Esslingen, 19/7–6/10/2013