Ausgezeichnet! Most Excellent!

Ausgezeichnet! Most Excellent!
Wasserschloß Klaffenbach
Chemnitz, Alemanha
15 nov 2015 – 14 fev 2016

Ines Bruhn

Ausgezeichnet! Most Excellent!
Interview to Ines Bruhn [curator of the exhibition project Most Excellent]
by Cristina Filipe [ PIN]

Cristina Filipe [CF]. Who is Ines Bruhn?
Ines Bruhn [IB]. I come from Germany, from Chemnitz in Saxony, maybe you know this area in the South-East of the country. In the Faculty of Applied Arts in Schneeberg, (which is a part of the University of Applied Science Zwickau), I teach (fundamental courses) to our fashion designers, textile designers and woodwork designers who study in the faculty. I am an artist too, in the field of graphics and art in the context of architecture and I often organize art projects mostly related to applied art as a curator.

CF. When did you start curating events?
IB. Many years ago, now. Not every year, but often. They are mostly international projects and are often related to jewellery or other kinds of applied art.
The most recent project was about jewellery and the petrified wood of Chemnitz. The organization of the “Ausgezeichnet! Most Excellent!” project started about two years ago and it belongs to or runs under the other bigger project called “14-18 WAR WAS .... It is a project on/focussing on the 100 year anniversary of World War I and we are organising different art events in this context. From this project, the idea to place the hero in the focus of an art project arose. With “Ausgezeichnet” we intend to show new interpretations of heroism through a variety of artists’ statements. How do young people, young artists see the modern heroes? Do they need heroes? Do they know one?
It can be very different and varied as I have already learned from the pictures of some contributions. It is a huge field of ambivalent interpretation.

CF. Yes. That is one of my questions. Who are the heroes of the participants?
IB. They are very different. Today [at Ar.Co] I saw some examples – and it seems that maybe “women” could be the heroes of modern society, of the world! Also the “fathers”, the “grandmothers”... are often the chosen heroes. But also, for example, a “fireman” was indicated.
We got an application from an artist who intends to show the point of resistance as a starting point to become a hero! And many more points of view appear!
Also the rejection of every kind of emphasis and distinction we will find in the works.

CF. Do you think the proposals are more political or more emotional?
IB. Both. At first I assumed that the artists would send more political statements... but more and more contributions are on an emotional level, often related to the artist’s life or family. And the ordinary heroes of our lives play an important role.

CF. Does this aspect escape a bit from the point of the project?
IB. It describes the situation now.
We’re evaluating the different applications until the end of August and we’ll see what the artists have created. But in ordinary life we recognize that the heroes are now everywhere in a commercial sense. People use the word hero very often in advertising and in trivial situations. At the beginning I didn´t realize that. But now heroes seem to be a subject everywhere! (But at the same time) it is tied to their importance.

CF. Do you think we use the idea of a hero in a more media-conscious way?
IB. Maybe this is the situation now. I thought at the beginning about special personalities who attained unique achievements for peace, humanity, saving lives.....! But the range of interpretation is much wider.

CF. But maybe from a critical side for the viewer, it is less common if you don’t know much about the person who was there... like if it is your grandmother we cannot judge as much because it is very intimate?
IB. We will try to give an explanation or some information in the presentation, for example a short abstract about the work which can help the viewer to understand the individual statement. Once we have selected the exhibits, we will offer and add a more detailed explanation, to help the viewer to understand the individual pieces.

CF. Are people mixing the idea of a hero and that of the person you love and admire? Because the meaning of hero goes beyond someone who is just really important for you.
IS. It is not the intention (of this topic) to think only about a super hero! And so it goes through many levels and ideas and shows current opinions. I am surprised by the variety and I can accept these variations very well.

CF. Are you going to write about this? There will be a catalogue, so will there also be an essay reflecting on the subject, the works presented and how people dealt with this topic?
IB. Maybe the publication can be like a collage. We will show the works accompanied by short abstracts and we will also include essays by several authors.. Monika Brugger will write, Christianne Weber Stöber from the German goldschmidt House in Hanau will write and we will also have an article about the middle age warriors and the culture of armour. I´m looking forward to an essay by the famous German writer Günter Kunert, and an article by Iris Fishof from Israel about war and jewellery. We are collaborating with the Historical Military Museum in Dresden too, and they will lend us some very special medals, so we can include them in the exhibition to build an exciting historical context.

CF. Where will the exhibition take place?
IB. Starting on 15th November, the exhibition will take place in a small castle in Chemnitz, called Wasserschloß Klaffenbach. The main exhibition will be there and we will have a second smaller exhibition in the Archaeological Museum in Chemnitz. It is a new, lovely museum and Marianne Schliwinski, from Gallery Spektrum in Munich, will exhibit a special project that reflects on the icons (male and female) of the 20th century. It is a project from the mid 1990’s, but it fits very well to our topic.
Also we will have a two day colloquium in January where we would like to invite the artists who are participating to tell us about their works and the authors of the book will speak. I hope we will be able to accomplish all our plans.
Everything is so poorly funded nowadays!

CF. Are you thinking of travelling with the show, for instance if Portugal could manage to bring the show here? Maybe PIN could help to bring the show to Lisbon.
IB. Yes, that would be a great opportunity. But it is not planned yet.

CF. How many participants or applications do you have so far?
IB. I am not really sure, but I think we registered about 250 applications from all over the world and we invited about 90 students from several schools.
We`ll see how many will send the pictures of their works. It then depends on the decision of the Jury, how many works will be arranged.
I guess it could be about 80.

CF. Which are the schools that participate?
IB. Ar.Co in Lisbon, the Shenkar College of Engineering Design and Art in Israel, the HAWK in Hildesheim where George Dobler is teaching, the Burg Giebichenstein Art School in Halle but not the jewellery department, the sculptors!! And then the University of Wismar is involved which is located at the seaside on the Baltic Sea. There, Andrea Wippermann works with her students – I will visit them in three weeks. From my faculty, about six or seven students of textile art and design will take part.

CF. Are you visiting all the schools that take part?
IB. Not all of them. I would like to but I cannot at the moment.

CF. What was your impression of the students’ work at Ar.Co?
IB. I had no idea beforehand what the students of Ar.Co were working on for the project. So I was very excited and surprised. It was a very nice meeting. Not so formal. And the building... everything. It was very, very nice to be there. The group of students is international too.
And there were many interesting jewellery projects to see. One of them [Débora Palma] presented a very startling idea with the bread to share, for example. Had you seen the project before? I was impressed. She is very close to the topic of the project with this work. Several students chose more private reflections, or kept focused on the topic. I´m very glad, that these students worked on the project and I would like to wish them good luck to be selected for the exhibition by the jury. It would be nice to see them in Chemnitz.

Jardim Palácio Pimenta, Museu da Cidade, Lisboa

June, 2015

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Curadora:
Ines Bruhn (DE)

Júri:
Dr. Christianne Weber-Stöber, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus, Hanau
Dr. Gorch Pieken, Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr, Dresden
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Brummert, Institut für Europäische Studien, TU Chemnitz
Paul Derrez, Galerie Ra, Amsterdam
Sabine Epple, GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Leipzig
Prof. Deganit Stern Schocken, Shenkar College, Ramat Gan/ISR

Participantes:
Alejandra Solar, MEX/LUX
Ana Carolina Escobar, FRA
Anna Silberstein, DE
Anja Eichler, DE
Babette von Dohnanyi, DE
Barbara Lorenz-Höfer & Susan Donath, DE
Beate von Appen, DE
Beate Klompmaker, DE
Beate Susanne Wehr, DE
Beate Eismann, DE
Bernhard Elsässer, DE
Björn Kendelbacher, DE
Bodo Korsig, DE
Carolina Ladeira, PT | AR.Co | Membro PIN Escola
Catarina João, PT | AR.Co | Membro PIN Escola
Claudia Klinkert, DE
Cornelia Thümmel, DE
Corrado de Meo, ITA
Dagmar Ranft Schinke, DE
Dan Peled, DE
Debora Palma, PT | AR.Co | Membro PIN Escola
Devora Strauss, Ramat, ISR
Dimitri Volkov, RUS
Elisa Schneider, DE
Esther von Kiedrowski, DE
Francesca di Ciaula, ITA
Gunnar Gerhardt, DE
Hadas Cohen, ISR
Heike Walk, DE
Hester Popma van de Kolk, NL
Ina Gumpert, DE
Ines Bruhn, DE
Ingolf Höhl, DE
Isis Maurer, DE
Jan Bejsovec, DE
Jette Zirpins, MEX
Josefine Mass, BEL
Juan Riusech, FRA
Julian Steimer, DE
Katarzyna Gemborys, POL
Katja Rabey, ITA
Katja Turpeinen, DE
Kirsten Gerzareck, DE
Konstanze Prechtl, DE
Laurin Kilbert, DE
Lena Lindahl, SWE
Luise Rüdiger, DE
Maria Konschake, DE
Maria Solorzano, ARG
Marie Grewenig, DE
Marília Maria Mira, PT | MEMBRO PIN
Marina Zachou, GRE
Magda Klemp, DE
Machteld van Joolingen, NL
Magdalena Orland, DE
Magdalena Maslerz, POL
Mais Zoabi, ISR
Martin Bayer, DE
Monica Cecchi, ITA
Natalia Araya, Valencia/ESP
Nelly Stein, DE
Nicolas Estrada, ESP
Niklas Link, DE
Nora Mazurek, DE
Oliver Scharfbier, DE
Oscar Wippermann, DE
Philipp Valenta, DE
Rahel Fiebelkorn, DE
Raphaela Kula, DE
Rill Greenfeld, ISR
Rita Marques, PT | AR.Co | Membro PIN Escola
Sarawut Chutiwongpeti, SUI
Serena Holm, SWE
Silke Mohrhoff, DE
Susanne Holzinger, DE
Tamar Paley, ISR
Taweesak Molsawat, THA
Theda Itzenga, DE
Tom Stöckl, DE
Valeria Dowding, ARG

Local:
Wasserschloß Klaffenbach
Chemnitz, Alemanha

Data:
15.11.2015 – 14.02.2016

PROGRAMA AQUI

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PARTICIPANTES PORTUGUESES

ALUNOS DO AR.CO | Membro PIN | ESCOLA
Projecto orientado por Marília Maria Mira | Membro PIN nas aulas de Materias Metodologias | Curso Joalharia. Ano Lectivo 2014 - 2015

Catarina João
Sinopse aqui

Catarina João

Catarina João

Carolina Ladeira
Sinopse aqui

Carolina Ladeira

Carolina Ladeira

Débora Palma
Sinopse aqui

Débora Palma

Rita Marques
Sinopse aqui

Rita Marques

Marília Maria Mira | Membro PIN
Sinopse aqui

Marília Maria Mira | “Immodesty’ insignia “, 1993, Lisbon; necklace medal and smell container; silver, copper, glass, wax, and silk ; 5,5 x 4,5 x 3 cm + ribbon; photo’s Manuel Portugal.

Marília Maria Mira | “Immodesty’ insignia “, 1993, Lisbon; necklace medal and smell container; silver, copper, glass, wax, and silk ; 5,5 x 4,5 x 3 cm + ribbon; photo’s Manuel Portugal.

Marília Maria Mira | “Love’s insignia”, 1993, Lisbon; brest medal and smell container; Silver, glass, paper, wax, and silk ; 13,1 x 5,3 x 3,3 cm Photo’s Manuel Portugal. ( this work was never showed )

Marília Maria Mira | “Narcissus’ insignia” , 1993, Lisbon; necklace medal and smell container; silver, copper, glass, wax, and silk ; 6,2 x 6,2 x 3 cm + ribbon; photo’s Manuel Portugal. Showed in my individual exhibition “Homesick” in 1995 at Monumental gallery and in the collective exhibition “ Isto é uma jóia “ in 1999 at Ricardo Espírito Santo Fundation, at Lisbon.

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Vista geral da exposição Ausgezeichnet! Most Excellent!
Wasserschloß Klaffenbach, Chemnitz, Alemanha

+ info:
www.mostexcellent-ausstellung.de

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Ausgezeichnet! Most Excellent!