The exhibition project ISLANDS+GHETTOS by the Heidelberger Kunstverein will be on show from June 7th to August 31st 2008.  30 works will be shown at the four different venues, all touching on phenomena connected to the theme suggested by the polemic title of the show: The social effects of urban expansion in the 21st century. Globally it can be observed that the the spatial fragmentation of cities is increasing, and that thus the social structure of these urban scenarios are drifting apart.
Two prototypcial case studies are central to the project ISLANDS+GHETTOS. Dubai and Caracas with their interchanging areas of poverty and wealth as typically seen in modern megacities are examplary for the tendencies of urban segregation. ISLANDS+GHETTOS aim to point out, that polarization, urban demarcations and partitions increasingly also is becoming relevant for European cities.
44 artists – see the complete list of artists below – have been invited to participate. Many have produced new works about the South-American metropolises or the cities around the Persian Gulf. Silke Wagner for example has dealt with the living and working conditions of the Pakistanian, Indian or Philipine guest works, building the artificial islands off the coast of Dubai, while living in segregated neighboorhoods of Sharjah. In the large format photographs of the Venezuelan artist Alexander Apostol shows how the almost utopian promises made by architects during the boom of the oil town Caracas have turned into closed off, windowless architecture, that seem to be imagine every foreigner to be an enemy.
On July 16th 2008 a panel discussion with lectures about the future of German cities will be held in Heidelberg with participation by Prof. Walter Siebel, Oldenburg, Prof. Jörn Düwel, Hamburg, Prof. Hans Stimmann, Berlin, and Prof. Gerhard Steinebach, Kaiserslautern. The panel is organized in cooperation with BetonMarketing Süd.
List of artists: Alexander Apostol (*1969), Atelier Van Lieshout (Artists-Coop at Rotterdam, founded by: Joep van Lieshout *1963), Anette Baldauf (*1965)/Dorit Margreiter (*1967), Sabine Bitter (*1960)/Helmut Weber (*1957), Sandow Birk (*1962), Büro für kognitiven Urbanismus (founded 1999 at Vienna by Andreas Spiegl *1965 and Christian Teckert *1967), Peter Coffin (*1972), Alice Creischer (*1960)/Andreas Siekmann (*1961), Mauricio Dias (*1964)/Walter Riedweg (*1955), Christo Doherty (*1959), Stuart Elster (*1965), Harun Farocki (*1944), Peter Fend (*1950), Andreas Fogarasi (*1977), Graham Frew (*1970), Kristjan Gudmundsson (*1941), Emily Jacir (*1970), Armin Linke (*1966)/Francesco Mattuzzi (*1975)/Alessandro Petti (*1973)/Eyal Weizman (*1970) in cooperation with Renato Rinaldi (*1966), Raul J. Méndez (*1973), Luis Molina-Pantin (*1969), Multiplicity (founded: 2000, Headquater at Milan, Stefano Boeri *1956, Matteo Ghidoni *1972, Stefano Graziani *1971 and Francesca Recchi a *1975), Rivane Neuenschwander (*1967), Ed Osborn (*1964), Marjetica Potrc (*1953), Sean Snyder (*1972), Javier Téllez (*1969), Urban Think Tank (founded 1993 by Alfredo Brillenbourg *1961 and Hubert Klumpner *1965), Vangelis Vlahos (*1971), Silke Wagner (*1968) in cooperation with Beate Anspach (*1978), Carey Young (*1970), Michael Zinganel (*1960)/Michael Hieslmair (*1974).
The project is funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation
Additional funding by Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg, the Municipality of Heidelberg, zetVisions and BASF AG.
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