13 februari 2022
Tagarchief: Louise Crawford
Les Idiolithes – II
4 augustus 2021
Op deze tweede avond werden eerst workshops ‘Idioliths’ door KRAATZ georganiseerd. Om 19.30u vond daarna de rituele teruggave van de steen plaats. De steen ging door ieders handen en werd door EX-MÊKH in een daarvoor bestemde tas gedaan waarmee de verantwoordelijkheid voor verdere activiteiten met de steen weer bij EX-MÊKH ligt. Alvorens de steen in de tas ging herhaalde ondergetekende een actie die hij eerder op het Malieveld uitvoerde: ‘The Weight’ . Hiermee illustreerde hij in dit geval de verantwoordelijkheid die hij voelt voor de steen en mogelijke verdere acties.
Vervolgens werd na een korte pauze een performance uitgevoerd door uw correspondent onder de titel ‘ Sentiers d’été ‘. Hierin werd direct gebruik gemaakt van de geretourneerde steen. In een cirkel werden vijf vellen papier neergelegd met daarop materialen. Vier vellen waren wit en de vijfde was zwart. Terzijde lag de steen. De performer begon de steen rond te rollen waarbij de houten vloer een stevig geluid gaf. Na een ronde begon de performer bij het eerste vel met een kleinere steen een stuk gedroogd stokbrood kapot te stampen op de steen. Daarna besmeerde hij het papier met lijm en strooide daar de stukjes stokbrood op. Vervolgens schreef hij een tekst in het vel.
Bij het tweede steen aangekomen te zijn begon hij een nieuwe tekening te maken met de materialen die hij daar vond en zo voort. Bij het vierde vel lag een vrouw op een badhanddoek, daar rolde hij de steen overheen en maakte een tekening in oliepastel. Daarna rolde hij de steen de hele cirkel nog eens door en rolde hij nog een keer over de vrouw. Daarna tekende hij een liggende vrouw in houtskool als donkere schaduw over de al aanwezige tekening. Bij het laatste vel deed de performer een zonnebril op en tekende sterren in het zwart, waarna hij ‘sharing darkness’ in donker blauw in de tekening schreef en in oranje ‘instead of fear we party’. Daarna ging hij zitten en was de performance ten einde.
Na weer een pauze nam Ellen Rodenberg het woord om het publiek tot participatie te bewegen in de EX-MÊKH workshop: zij had beschilderde vierkante vellen papier op de vloer neergelegd en nodigde het publiek uit de markers die ze had meegebracht te pakken en de abstracte afbeeldingen die op het papier stonden te verbeteren. Hieraan werd met enthousiasme mee gedaan. Vervolgens werd het weekeinde officieel afgesloten, het werd laat voor we het bed in doken!
Les Idiolithes
3 september 2021
Einde juni werd EX-MÊKH plotseling uitgenodigd door KRAATZ, een internationaal kunstenaars collectief waarmee we eerder werkten in Berlijn, om deel te nemen aan een tentoonstelling in Parijs. Ook een Duitse kunstenaar zou zich hier nog bij voegen, Sabine Bürger uit Essen. Het ging om het vertonen van video op het gebouw van EP7, een multifunctioneel gebouw aan de hypermoderne Avenue de France. Op de gevel zijn zestien monitoren gemonteerd waarop de video’s te zien zijn. KRAATZ zou haar video ‘Les Idiolithes’ tonen die ze gemaakt hebben op uitnodiging van EX-MÊKH om tijdens Platforms Project NET 2021 te vertonen. In deze video werken zij met een zware steen uit de Provence die ik zelf in Berlijn achter liet nadat ik hem gebruikt heb in de EX-MÊKH tentoonstelling ‘Femaler’ die we daar voor A-Trans maakten. Tijdens een openingsweekeinde zouden performances kunnen worden uitgevoerd en zou de steen ritueel aan de rechtmatige eigenaar worden terug gegeven.
EX-MÊKH besloot haar gezamenlijke video ‘Stage Arousal’ te tonen en in het weekeinde performances uit te voeren en bereidde een en ander voor tijdens de vakantie. Vandaag was de eerste avond: KRAATZ’ Forbes Morlock voerde een fantastisch absurd interview met de steen over zijn mening over Freud’s reizen naar de Dolomieten, het Harz gebergte, Rome en Athene en zijn ervaringen met steen.
Na een korte pauze nam KRAATZ’s Yorgos Dimitriades, een improviserend musicus die met slagwerk en electronica werkt, het stokje over om in een muzikale dialoog te gaan met de steen:
Om 20.00 u begon de vertoning van de video’s op de schermen op de gevel van EP7. Er was inmiddels een behoorlijk publiek en het was spectaculair om het werk waaraan we in de winter intensief gewerkt hebben zo op een avenue in Parijs vertoond te zien worden:
#7: Athens – Platforms Project 2017 – Beton 7 Radio
May 26, 2017
Today is the last day of the Platforms Project. I had an option on my drawing which I sold definitely today. After 15.00 h we cleared out. We decided to visit the Acropolis and to have dinner in the Plaka, it seems obligatory for the ones who came in yesterday. After dinner we are invited at an opening at Beton 7 Radio, together with a Jazz concert by the Blue Note Trio: Jazz Archeology that is! It got to be a nice and relaxed day with another unexpected number of visitors at the fair.
The walk to the venue of Platforms Project is great, with a fantastic view from the hill behind it.
On the way you see a lot of Grafitti that I like
This is a great piece!
On the Spot Stéphan Guéneau and Louise Crawford are working on yet another piece
Which turned out really fine!
and a great poster on the side!
Marian Wijnvoord added a beautiful series of little landscapes
This is the drawing that I sold
Another walk took me upstairs to IFAC arts with this original appropriation
ALISN from Brasil with great music videos
and posters
Geeta Rooparine at Lubimirov/Angus Hughes
and a great teacher from England, St. Martin’s, whose name I couldn’t find back, the drawings are wiped right after he fisnishes and he goes on forever!
Tiny Domingos is getting sentimental about clearing the booth
But EX-MÊKH is it’s usual self about it
KRAATZ is just continuïng to experiment, wonder when they left?
On the Acropolis the light was magnificent
The sun set behind the Parthenon, or the Erechteïon really
A beautiful evening
View on the Acropolis and the tower of the winds at night
Off to Beton 7 Art Radio which appeared to be a rather fashionable place
At Beton 7 Art Radio the show was worth while with work by Mathieu Valade who put well known art manifestos in a Star Wars context
Julie René de Cotret sew hats together, it looks technical all of a sudden, well, soft technics!
Artemis Potamianou is also an artist and this is her work
The stuff you gather,,,
The crowd was all over the place, like in the bar
Or in the concert by the Blue note Trio
#6: Athens – Documenta 14@Benaki Museum Pireos street
May 24, 2017
Today EX-MÊKH’s fans from Holland arrived at the fair. We took the opportunity in the morning to visit another Documenta site and after the fair Artemis had arranged for everybody in the fair to have drinks and a meal together in Petralona, a busy neighbourhood with lots of bars and restaurants.
So in the morning we went to the Benaki annexe in Pireos street, another beautiful new building that normally houses modern Greek art. Now, Documenta occupies the ground floor with, to my opinion, the best part of Documenta in Athens.
The Benaki Museum Pireos Street Annexe
Hiwa K: One Room Appartment – 2017
Roee Rosen: Live and Die as Eva Braun – 1995-1997
A series of beautiful graphic art, drowned in German culture
The banners in the room show a monologue of Eva Braun and her love for Adolf Hitler
and how they commit suicide together
A great work of art, from collections in Israél
Nilima Sheikh has a number of painted canvases hanging from the ceiling under the title: “Each night put Kashmir in your dreams” – 2003-2014
On the back classical Hindu texts are printed
In the space it looks impressive
Aarin Rungjan: And then there were none, (Tomorrow we will become Thailand) – 2016 In this video a classical singer elegantly sings of horrible things, accompanied by a beautiful istrument of bamboe sticks
In the video and the accompanying paintings the artist juxtaposes two events: the Thammasat university Uprising in 1973 and the Polytechnic university uprising in Athens in 1973 Oral history in the video’s witness the happenings of the time.
Return to Khodurciur, Armenian Diary – 1974 Again Oral history about the happenings in Armenia: the father reads his diary from that time.
Congolese history by Tshimumba Kanda Matulu
It is a room filled with Congolese history, from the beginning until now
El Hadji Sy: la nouvelle Muséologie
André Pierre: Grand Bois
Myriam Cahn: ertasted (e.-arb)(touched – may 16, 1992)
R.H. Quaitman: Parthian Shot
R.H. Quaitman: Parthian Shot
Myriam Cahn
Myriam Kahn
Back on the fair we had a quick look at our work
and Geeta Rooparine came by with presents. She liked my textile texts, I got some beautiful silk threads from her and she showed me what she made of them!
KRAATZ changed their booth again, and this time their collaborators Stéphan Guéneau and Louise Crawford had arrived and immediately they added new work: a textwork
and these pictures (with the & from Isolde Nagel)
The pictures close up
And today again we couldn’t complain about the visitors
I took another round in the cellars, here with the VSVSVS
and the 24 hours project, completely different again!
At night we had a great dinner, because the next day would be the last day of the fair
Constantinos is very sure about something!
The Extra Muros crew rocks!
Shooting back at Artemis
Der Deutsch-Holländischer Tisch
And once more shooting back at Guillaume
#2: Athens – Documenta 14 @ Athens Conservatoire – Platforms Project 2017
20 mei 2017
Today the Platforms Project opened for the public. Before I had some time to visit a venue of Documenta 14, The Athens Conservatoire or Odeion as Greeks call it. In the next reports I will show the works I thought worth while, in the end I shall try to eveluate Documenta as a whole.
At the entrance – David Lamelas: Time as Activity – a three channel live feed from resp. the German parliament, the Acropolis and the Greek Parliament.
Susan Hiller made a beautiful work, a sound-booth with recordings of vanished or endangered languages
Of course, in a conservatory, music can not be omitted. The Contemporary Music Research Centre, founded by Iannis Xenakis, Giannis Papaioannou and Stephanos Vassiliadis conducted research and engaged in educational projects as well as festivals and collaborations.
For instance Mycenae Polypoton, a site specific performance set in the ruins of Mycenae in 1978. It involved musicians, singers, sheperds and lit sheep as well as other recitals of movement and light.
On the occasion of Documenta 14 an old synthisizer was restored, the EMS Synthi 100, a rare analogue synthesizer built in London in 1971. Four compositions have been written for it to be played during Documenta 14.
Akinbode Akinbiyi: Passageways, Involuntary and the Sound of Crowded Spaces – 2015-2017
Pélagie Gbaguidi: The Missing Link, Decolonisation Education by mrs. Smiling Stone – 2017
Pélagie Gbaguidi: The Missing Link, Decolonisation Education by mrs. Smiling Stone – 2017
Guilermo Galindo: Score for Boca de la noche – 2016 (from the series “Border Canto’s”)
Guilermo Galindo: Score for Border Planetarium – 2016 (from the series “Border Canto’s”)
Kettly Noël: Strange Fruit
André du Colombier: Untitled
Peter Friedl: Report – 2016
Ganesh Haloi: Untitled – 2016
Ganesh Haloi: Untitled – 2016
Hiwa K: Pre-Image (Blind as the Mother Tongue) – 2017 A video of a man escaping his country with a stick on his head with mirrors attached to it. He sees his surroundings and himself in the mirrors while we see him walking to his destiny. A voice-over relates his feelings in all this.
Hiwa K: Pre-Image (Blind as the Mother Tongue)-2017
After the Conservatory I walked to the venue where Platforms project was beïng held,. On the way I stopped at some of the places where small presentations in Documenta could be seen. The Nikos Hadjikyriakos- Ghika Museum, one of the four locations of the Benaki Museum is a beautiful house in the centre of the city. It shows biographies of well known writers, actors, poets, composers and painters and sculptors. The building used to be the house of Ghika, one of the famous Greek modernist painters, the two top floors show his living quarters and his studio. In between all this Documenta had placed work of forgotten painters. The paintings were not very interesting, apparently they were chosen because of their subjects: immigrants and other non Greek persons.
Beautiful sketches of renovation of The Niche, the 8th gymnasium school chapel of Athens
And this is the chapel, a nice modernist buiding
A picture of Greek poet Seferis together with Ezra Pound
This is the official document which was given to Giorgos Seferis when he won the Nobel Prize for litterature
36 Black and white pictures by Nikos Hadjikyriakos- Ghikawere added by Documenta
They show Greek living in the thirties
but you can recognise the painter in the structures and the compositions
The Numismatic Museum showed one work: that of Dan Peterman, who also shows at the EMST
It’s a bar of metal, the form suggests gold, from under the sea maybe?
Back in Platforms an impression of what is beïng shown by different artists initiatives:
Oversight EX-MÊKH booth
EX-MÊKH: Maarten Schepers
Maarten Schepers close up with his night-pictures of stars
Ellen Rodenberg: detail
Kees Koomen: oversight
KRAATZ is an interesting collaboration from Berlin with A-Trans’ Isolde Nagel, painter Marian Wijnvoord, musician Yorgos Dimitriadis, Stéphan Gueneau, Louise Crawford and philosopher Forbes Morlock. This installation was to change every day, though I found it interesting as it was
A-Trans showed photographs by Ekkehard Keintzel and pantings by Marian Wijnvoord
The combination of which worked out well
Moving landscapes by Marian Wijnvoord
Rosa Lux collaborated with other galleries again, this is Tiny Domingos at Beaston Projects
With slightly surrealistic pictures too
And this is Linda Weiss at Paper from UK
She had a beautiful presentation by the way, for instance with these Trump Tower grids!
National TV was present at the opening, interviewing Dutch globally based artist Willem-Jan Smit
The cellar was the real underground with nice work at ID:I
At Future Scenarios pictures were taken of the public
I don’t have the name of this collective, but it was a lively lot
At 24 hours project a daily change would take place also, I liked this as it was though!
With great graphic art up in the corner
and a protagonist on the side
Unnoticed Art presents an unnoticed exhibition, but it also executes performances of these artists regularly!
Unnoticed Art makes one curious for its intentions
but it appears to be a very intimate exhibition, featuring the works of EX-MÊKH-members
This is the wall in the cellar where the Lo and Behold shows their project, EX-MÊKH is presented in a nice context
After the opening of Platforms drinks in a local bar. On the way there we passed the Panathinaikos stadium, covered with grafitti!
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