THE 4TH BERLIN BIENNALE

HAPPENINGText: Yoshito Maeoka

The contents of the exhibition is as follows. Starting from the main exhibition hall KW Institute for Contemporary Art, locations along the Auguststrasse include a former Jewish girls’ school, a cemetery, a church, a former stable for the post office, a theater, and a number of private residences.


Bruce Nauman, Rats and Bats (Learned Helplessness in Rats II), 1988

The KW is the entry point of the Berlin Biennale. After the entrance, one encounters an installation by Bruce Nauman. Going through this room leads to an enormous exhibition space with a large number of photos by Michael Schmidt, a sculpture by Thomas Schuette, and a video by Aieda ruilova under the steps.


Thomas Schütte, The Capacity Men, 2005

The exhibition continues to the next room with a video by Mircea Cantor and photography by Corey McCorkle. At the end of this room, steps lead to the upper five floors.


Oliver Croy with Oliver Elser, Special Models. The 387 houses of Peter Fritz, insurance clerk from Vienna, 2000

The following is about some striking works in KW. The architectural models by Oliver Croy and Oliver Elser have a unique atmosphere: most parts were found in a flea market. On first sight, it looks like a miniature model of a European city. However, as a result of their intensive research, the artists found out that no such structure actually exists in architecture.


Florian Slotawa, Ersatzturm, 2006

In the void between this floor and the floor below, there is a massive installation of furniture by Florian Slotawa. Alongside this installation are photographs of furniture by Ricarda Roggan. Together they are truly remarkable.


Gillian Wearing, Drunk, 1999

The video art by Gillian Wearing on the floor above is also impressive. The entire floor is used to project three videos, showing men in front of white walls. These men, sharing some kind of happiness with another, yet at times looking very pain stricken seem to be drunk. It looks as though their true inner faces are exposed through the camera.

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