Synchron Magazine presents: Liminal Bridges

About

Liminal Bridges
Claire Barrow, Johannes Farfsing, Alicia Gladston, Chiu Laozhi, Sal Salandra, Ben Sang, Adam Varab, Kay Yoon
February 19 – March 19, 2022
Opening Exhibition: Saturday, February 19, 2022, 8:00 pm

Doors open: 8:00 pm 
Issue one of Synchron magazine will be launched at the opening
Reading and performance: Kay Yoon and Jonas M. Mölzer
Live act: KODAMA and harpist Simonetta Ginelli

Trauma Bar und Kino
Heidestraße 50, 10557 Berlin 

To mark the first issue of the magazine Synchron, eight artists were invited to present their works at Trauma Bar und Kino as an extension of their published contributions to the magazine. 

Both media—the magazine and the exhibition—mutually complement one another. Mysticism, magic, individual interpretation, and spirituality are the binding links between all contributors. That is why the first issue of the magazine and the exhibition share the same title: Liminal Bridges. 

For the exhibition Trauma Bar und Kino will be transformed into a labyrinth, encouraging people to go on a quest to discover the varied strata of the venue. The works on display fluctuate between different media, connected by the element of liminality, which each artist has interpreted for themselves. To provide some direction, Synchron’s request to the artists included the following terms: mysticism, occultism, rituals with or without religious contexts, otherworldly scenarios, and magic.

Alicia Gladston transforms an entire room into a metallic arrangement inspired by the Rosicrucian gardens of the king and queen of Bohemia, while other rooms host installations by Ben Sang, Kay Yoon, and Adam Varab. Johannes Farsing juxtaposes lacquered wooden reliefs with references to the traditional cult of Carnival from the valleys of southern Switzerland while Sal Salandraembroidery explores BDSM practices blended with cultural symbolism, inviting the audience to indulge in another world. Claire Barrow’s painting explore the subconscious by depicting fantastical realms. Chiu Laozhi’s sculpture, crafted using ancient Chinese techniques, illuminates the transcendence of the dragon symbol and related Daoist thoughts for the viewer.

The term liminality was first coined in the early twentieth century by the French ethnologist Arnold van Gennep and later picked up as a subject of deeper research by the anthropologist Victor Turner: 

“In anthropology, liminality (from the Latin word līmen, meaning ‘a threshold’) is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete. During a rite’s liminal stage, participants ‘stand at the threshold’ between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way, which completing the rite establishes.” Turner, Victor (1974). 

Another potential layer of interpretation is added to the title by the fact that Liminal Bridges is based on an actual book that can be read by players of Bethesda Studio’s milestone video game Skyrim. The book details a certain magical procedure to open the gate to Oblivion and a rite to create a magical stone that stores arcane power. According to the curator liminality refers to a state of transformation that the artists enter during the process of creating their work. The event at Trauma Bar und Kino functions as a bridge to their metaphysical worlds beyond.

During the opening and launch on February 19, visitors can enjoy a reading/performance by Kay Yoon and Jonas M. Mölzer, as well as live performances by KODAMA and Simionetta Ginelli.

Text by Lea Kloepel

The exhibition is curated by Synchron magazine

SYNCHRON
Synchron is an independent magazine dedicated to showcasing a broad spectrum of contemporary art, literature, and subcultural practices. Synchron provides its readers with an opportunity to discover ambitious, emerging artists beyond online media and gives its contributors a versatile option to present their work. Synchron seeks to build a platform that brings together artists, graphic designers, and writers from various genres to facilitate crossover collaborations and to open up a space for the exchange of ideas. Synchron is edited by Lea Kloepel and published by Dyer Press (Berlin). More information about Synchron can be found at: https://synchronmag.com

TRAUMABARUNDKINO
Since opening in summer 2018, Trauma Bar und Kino has provided the Berlin creative community with a much-needed alternative to traditional club and gallery culture. Situated in the Heidestrasse district (and one of the few remaining original buildings in the area), the interior has been reconstructed from scratch, resulting in a sensory playground that is endlessly redefinable. The modular nature of the space means normal rules no longer apply: a performance can lead to a club night, cinema screening, or immersive installation—or perhaps all of them at once. Trauma Bar und Kino is a queer, feminist, and sex-positive friendly space.

Ticket: 10 Euro https://ra.co/clubs/157011/events

CONTACT
TRAUMABARUNDKINO
Heidestraße 50
10557 Berlin
traumabarundkino.de
Madalina Stanescu 
trauma@traumabarundkino.de