Dicker als Wasser

Fateful?

The end of the family, the disappearance of family relationships, but also criticism of rigid family structures - these are recurring themes of social debates in the modern age. The family was still seen by the '68ers as a petty-bourgeois community of destiny that had to be broken out of and left behind. New generations have always fought against outdated traditions and entrenched role models in order to try out and implement new forms of living together. Although repeatedly declared to be an obsolete model, the family has not lost its importance for the individual and society, as nothing characterises us as lastingly as this network of relationships. Family matters are not only of a private nature, but also always have a political dimension. They are an expression and driver of changing social structures, in which the classic identity-forming model of living together in a family as a place of security is confronted with numerous upheavals. Accordingly, perceptions of what constitutes a family have also multiplied: it can no longer be reduced to biological and legal criteria, but can also be viewed as a process, as "doing family", or as an expanding "patchwork". The exhibition and book not only deal with the diverse forms of cohabitation, but also venture a questioning look into the future: What significance does family still have today in the face of globalised working conditions and pluralised lifestyles? To what extent are networks and friends replacing traditional family structures? How are (sometimes already digitalised) biotechnologies, from artificial insemination to surrogate motherhood, changing our traditional understanding of family?

Artists:
Candice Breitz, Omer Fast, Simon Fujiwara, Nan Goldin, Badr el Hammami & Fadma Kaddouri, Verena Jaekel, Haejun Jo, Nina Katchadourian, Ragnar Kjartansson, Neozoon, Johannes Paul Raether, Gillian Wearing, Tobias Yves Zintel

Exhibitions:
Kunstpalais Erlangen, 24/9 - 27/11/2016
Villa Merkel Esslingen 18/12/2016 - 26/12/2017