08 Jun 2012

Phenomenon Wealth at Motorenhalle. Project Centre Dresden

Although Europe is currently facing a profound economic crisis, it is simultaneously enjoying a level of wealth that has not existed for a very long time. But what defines wealth, once a human's bacis needs have already been met? Or, as Brecht would put it: Is there really more morality after the food has been ensured? To be honest: We don't know. We know just as little about what comes next after the wealth. Will it be destroyed by this or crisis or another in the future? Or is every crisis primarily a chance? This is a topos that is deeply rooted in the discourses of politicians and economists. But what lies behind this empty phrase? Is it a mere euphemism to disguise the catastrophic impacts of an economic system that aims at permanent quantitative growth? Or is this formulation pointing to a real chance of renovation? If that is the case: A chance for what? For new wealth or new growth? Wouldn't a fundamental new concept of wealth be the more powerful and livelier chance for a society after the crisis?

The artworks shown at 'Phenomenon Wealth' concentrate on aspects like labour, happiness, consumption, art, politics and economy, and address these issues using varied approaches such as irony, analysis, sarcasm, affirmation and vision. A seemingly naturalistic tree is formed out of the paper from already read magazines. The eating of a banana in the 1970s is related to the eating of a sausage in the 2000s. The prices of Yachts, stock prices on September the 12th 2001 stitched on rosy silk, dummies in display windows or at East - West bazars in Istanbul, the origin of our closet's contents, coins-thrower, stretched compact cars, shopping bags ...

Artists
Fabienne Ballandras, Lyon | Guy Ben Ner, Tel Aviv | Benedikt Braun, Weimar | Frank Bölter, Köln | Alice Creischer & Andreas Siekmann, Berlin | Philipp Gloger, Dresden | Claire Guerrier, Basel | Frank Herrmann, Dresden | Thilo Hoffmann, Zürich | Rupert Hofmann, München | Christian Jankowski, Berlin | Paweł Jarodzki, Wrocław | Martin Krenn, Wien | Verena Landau, Leipzig | Seraphina Lenz, Berlin | Jean-Claude Luttmann, Strasbourg | Gruppe LUXUS, Wrocław | MOGA - Salon Rejected, Weimar | Vik Muniz, New York City | Natalia LL, Wrocław | Jörg Obergfell, Paris | Christoph Oertli, Bruxelles | Beate Passow, München | Oliver Schau, Hamburg | Karin Schaub, Basel | Stephanie Senge, München | Aleksandra Ska, Poznan | Tobias Stengel, Dresden | Stefan Voigt, Radebeul | Konrad Winter, Salzburg | Sus Zwick, Basel

CURATOR Frank Eckhardt, Dresden
CO-CURATORS: Denise Ackermann, Dresden | Jolanta Bielanska, Wrocław | Andrea Domesle, Basel

MORE INFORMATION ON THE EXTENSIVE SUPPORTING PROGRAMME CONSISTING OF READINGS, CONCERT, SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS & ADDITIONAL EXHIBITIONS
CAN BE FOUND AT www.motorenhalle.de

We thank our sponsors and cooperation partners of the project: Landeshauptstadt Dresden. Amt für Kultur und Denkmalschutz, Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen, Schweizer Kulturstiftung Prohelvetia, Bundesfamilienministerium für Familie, Senioren, Finanzen und Jugend, Europäischer Sozialfonds für Deutschland / Europäischen Union, Bundezentrale für politische Bildung, Dresdner Stiftung für Soziales & Umwelt der Ostsäschsischen Sparkasse Dresden, Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen aus Mitteln der Kulturstiftung des Auswärtigen Amtes, Sächsische Landeszentrale für politische Bildung, Herbert-Wehner-Bildungswerk e.V., Cynal e.V.