EXHIBITING.

The verb "to exhibit" provokes a wealth of questions that have been hot topics for artists and theorists in recent years. How is art presented? What do visitors expect? How do artists reflect on the conditions that accompany exhibiting in an institution? How do they question the associated process of forming canons?
Simultaneously, the exhibition title expresses an objective pursued by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach-Stiftung with its prize Kataloge für junge Künstler (Catalogues for young artists). For 30 years the foundation has supported the first monographic exhibitions of contemporary artists, which are selected by a changing jury.
Just how relevant the question about exhibiting is in the current art debate is demonstrated by the work of six artists, who were invited to hold a joint show at Museum Folkwang to mark the 30th anniversary of the Krupp scholarship prize. They are all past recipients of the award from the last ten years, and address the conditions of showing art in highly different ways.
In his walk-through studio scenes of Jackson Pollock or Roman Opalka, Robert Kusmirowski (born 1973) creates new legends about the emergence of icons in post-War art. Paulina Olowska (born 1976) undermines this canon of Modernism by painting her canvases in a style between Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism and then fashioning garments from them. Kirsten Pieroth (born 1970) uses very simple materials to imitate Fabergé eggs.

In his films and sculptural works, Shahryar Nashat (born 1975) experiments with established hierarchies by raising the pedestal onto a pedestal. David Maljković (born 1973) recalls the Constructivist Modernism of his native Croatia and raises the question of whether assessment criteria are influenced by temporal factors. In a tongue-in-cheek gesture, Marko Lulić pushes the constructed, monumental typeface Invisible Monument into the exhibition space. The label that does not conceal anything becomes the actual work.

A catalogue will be published by Edition Folkwang/Steidl.
Accompanying artists’ discussions and lectures will provide deeper insights into a wide variety of aspects related to exhibiting today.

Supported by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach-Stiftung.