Duals – BAI features 2chairs artspace
Vernissage am 22.
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The exhibition will be opened on the 22nd of March with Manifashion#3 – Stefano Loiacono’s performance that explores possible engagement between art, artist and audience, everyone is welcome to stop, listen, respond or simply keep walking.
The chair is well-known as one of the most utility objects ever that can be found in almost every home from ancient times to today, one of the best examples of a contemporary mass product that in extremely rare cases has an author. 2chairs artspace contemplates chairs as an exhibition space, an invitation to the dialogue, and a symbol of a certain self-sufficient life element. Its representation of artists, who succeed in another career before committing to the artistic practice, indicates a will to open the art world door while leaving a chair free for anyone who wants to take a seat.
In “Duals” 2chairs artists are exploring the ambivalence surrounding the distinction between an artwork and an object. Where is the border separating exclusivity (elitism) from inclusivity (mass)? Why is there a need for authorship against nameless production? Who draws the line between uselessness and utilitarianism? Is it a permanent drawing or a temporal one? If anything, art history teaches us that canons can be changed and questions who is a decision-maker.
“Duals” invites everyone to participate, not only as visitors but also as authors. Stefano Loiacono initiates an installation that anyone can rearrange, by adding their share as well as their names to the contributing artists’ list. Traces that are left on the red carpet at the opening will be a key part of Lena Ash’s artwork that will be exposed the next day. Oliver Orthuber proposes to deep into the mundanity of everyday life by sitting on his chair specifically designed for the 2Chairs project. But please do not try to sit down on Josephine Riemann’s chair – her piece is a deposit for emotions enclosing a living space. Jacalyn Carley’s works blur the line amid a sculptural, sensual, porous representation, though its nails clearly state in Braille “Touch Me Not”. Bernd Reichert’s portrait captures the moment of a story with no beginning or end, where a human figure may be finding a way out by closing all the air in. Camila Piana reinvents herself by sewing her present from pieces of the past. Scott Culley also explores how the past appears in the present with the help of marketing, mass production and distribution channels.
2chairs artists:
Bernd Reichert, Camila Piana, Jacalyn Carley, Josephine Riemann, Lena Ash, Oliver Orthuber, Scott Culley, Stefano Loiacono, and others…