Where are the artists?

RijksakademieLIVE #2

26 Apr 2011

Why do artists withdraw from large-scale exhibitions or biennials? Why are exhibitions curated by artists so interesting? Where are the artists?

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RijksakademieLIVE #2 will address these questions in a public conversation, taking as a starting point two texts by Daniel Buren: “Exhibitions of an exhibition” and “Where are the artists?”.

Buren's first text dates from 1972 in a reaction on Documenta V, curated by Harald Szeemann, from which some artists of the likes of Robert Morris, Carl Andre, Donald Judd and Fred Sandback withdrew. The second text was written by Buren thirty years later, as a reflection on his earlier text, for an e-flux project called "The next Documenta should be curated by an artist". He addresses the issue of the curator as creator, the exhibition becoming 'the work' of the curator, and the art works just sole elements within the bigger narrative the exhibition or biennial often puts forward. At the same time Buren emphasises the importance of the artist as curator, addressing issues of contemporary artists in a more interesting way.

RijksakademieLIVE #2 will consist of conversations with curator Elena Filipovic, advisor Rijksakademie, three artists who are more or less frequent biennial participants: Rossella Biscotti, resident artist at the Rijksakademie; Tania Bruguera, advisor Rijksakademie; Moshekwa Langa, former Rijksakademie resident and Pavel Büchler, artist, professor and occasionally curator. Philippe Pirotte, director Kunsthalle Bern and advisor Rijksakademie, will moderate the debate.

Entrance: free
Limited seating, reservations: info@rijksakademie.nl