Making History
24.04.2012 — 08.07.2012
The central exhibition “Making History” of the first edition of RAY Fotografieprojekte Frankfurt/RheinMain focused on artistic reflection of public images without limiting itself to the medium of photography. Film and video were included as well. The exhibition showed different positions on the subject of presentation of reality in media images. 38 renowned international artists, among them Viktoria Binschtok, David LaChapelle, Omer Fast, Alfredo Jaar, Barbara Klemm, Gustav Metzger, were present in the exhibition. At the MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main, Thomas Demand was one of the exhibitors, showing his image series “Embassy” in an elaborate installation covering the entire central hall. The main exhibition also included works by Harun Farocki, specifically three parts of his latest multi-part installation “Ernste Spiele”, and Walid Raad, who had just received the Hasselblad Award. Additionally, there were many new discoveries whose works already showed a wide range of artistic dealing with public images.
In the media society, reality seems to only be created in images: Special events seem to take place only when present in the media. In particular the younger generation strongly defines itself via images: imago ergo sum. Not only socially and politically important, but also private, mundane and marginal events become part of public reality today, with images spreading through social media networks by media snowball effects. Everyone who produces images also constructs reality. This development can be traced using the photography documentation of historical events as well, which were and are still closely connected with political conflict and events of war. The artists in this exhibition do not offer their own history models. Instead, their work shows different views of historical events that can be understood as extended forms of presenting history, as well as subjective images of the past, and convey independent ideas on the creation of history.
Exhibition sites: Frankfurter Kunstverein, MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, MMK Zollamt and two public locations.
Participating Artists: Taysir Batniji (AUT), Nina Berman (USA), Viktoria Binschtok (D), Black.Light Project (D), Robert Boyd (USA), Luc Delahaye (F), Thomas Demand (D), Harun Farocki (D), Omer Fast (IL/USA), Samuel Fosso (RCA), Kathrin Günter (D), Hofmann&Lindholm (D), James Howard (GB), Alfredo Jaar (USA), Sven Johne (D), William E. Jones (USA), Barbara Klemm (D), Petra Köhle & Nicolas Vermot Petit-Outhenin (CH), David LaChapelle (USA), Eva Leitolf (D), Armin Linke (D), Gustav Metzger (GB), James Mollison (GB), Simon Norfolk (GB), Peter Piller (D), Elodie Pong (CH), Paul Qaysi (USA), Walid Raad (LIB), Doug Rickard (USA), Martha Rosler (USA), Michael Schmidt (D), Frank Schramm (USA), Manit Sriwanichpoom (TH), Hank Willis Thomas (USA), Oliviero Toscani (I), Jeff Wall (CAN), Michael Wolf (F) et al
Curators: Anne- Marie Beckmann (Art Collection Deutsche Börse), Lilian Engelmann (Frankfurter Kunstverein), Peter Gorschlüter (MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main), Dr. Holger Kube Ventura (Frankfurter Kunstverein), Alexandra Lechner (Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie) und Celina Lunsford (Fotografie Forum Frankfurt)
For further information contact/see:
RAY Fotografieprojekte Frankfurt/RheinMain
Weißfrauenstraße 1 ● 60311 Frankfurt ● info@ray2012.de ● www.ray2012.de
A catalogue was published on the occasion of the exhibition.
