This autumn the Kuenstlerhaus presents five exhibitions which have a good look at the matter of artistic co-operation.
This series of shows focusses on different approaches and motivations of co-operations. The invited projects use several medias of contemporary art as painting, concept, photography, installation and film. For instance, painters (who usually are keen to define and protect their very personal style and strategy) discover and enjoy the advantages of opening out and combining their points of view and skills. Co-operating is not that unusual for young art film-makers, possibly it is even essential. Different from their way of working together on projects are the effective production communities of photographers and installation artists.

participating artists:

co_op_2 Concept
with the artists of the label >sub 11< Frank Maier (*1966 at Stuttgart), Wolfgang Stehle (*1965 at Munich) and Wolfgang Kaiser ( *1965 at Herrenberg)

> sub11@web.de

"sub 11, an artist's label provided by Wolfgang Kaiser, realizes a moment of self-organization - by-passing gallerists, museum directors and curators. Without being directly critical about art institutes, define themeselves theoretcally or even programatically, sub 11 is setting up an informal network of artists and organizes nation wide exchange ..."
text: Heinz Schütz

<Desire from steel> RN 24.09.2004

For the cooperation in the context of the exhibition series >co_op< the trio searched for an
expression, that is aside to the always used path of usual cooperation, kaiser said.
"We wanted everything different. A thing, that nobody of us would have done on his own."
As complex the concept is, the presentation is simple. steel as a know material of work in Dortmund was not the main interest. But in fact a desire was part of the task solving attitude. The final solution is a work that respects Minimal Art. A carefully reduced sculpture from steel t-holders, just shown directly on the floor of the exhibition space without any pedestal or other artificial gesture. As unpretentious this part of the work is, the even more pathetic is the second part with the portraits of the three artists on an stamp block, shown in a show case on velvet - of almost old fashioned style. (text: rie)