Genossin Sonne

About

A joint exhibition of Kunsthalle Wien and Wiener Festwochen | Freie Republik Wien

Curators: Dr. Inke Arns (Director of HMKV Hartware MedienKunstVerein) and Andrea Popelka (Kunsthalle Wien)
Assistant Curator: Hannah Marynissen

Artists: Kobby Adi • Kerstin Brätsch • Colectivo Los Ingrávidos • Nicholas Grafia & Mikołaj Sobczak • Sonia Leimer • Maha Maamoun • Wolfgang Mattheuer • Marina Pinsky • Katharina Sieverding • The Atlas Group • The Otolith Group • Huda Takriti • Suzanne Treister • Anton Vidokle • Gwenola Wagon • Hajra Waheed …

This essayistic group exhibition Genossin Sonne [Comrade Sun] is dedicated to works of art and artistic theories that connect the cosmos, and especially the sun – the most important provider of energy for life on earth – to social and political movements. In light of the decentering of the human being as the subject of history, we inquire into the extent to which not just the natural environment on our earth but, on a grander scale, even the universe contributes to historical processes. For instance, is there a linkage, as the Soviet cosmists asserted, between increased solar activity (more sunspots and solar winds) and revolutions on earth? And which speculative and eminently enjoyable reflections on such questions can be found in contemporary visual art and poetry?
In the selection of works by international artists, one focus is on the moving image – on cinema, film, and video as media of light. Yet works in other media likewise radiate hypnotic, feverish, glowing, menacing affects.

Exhibition design: Marlene Oeken & Martha Schwindling