2017-12-30
pain for gain: crunch time on lone islands | entry by sven | |
looking back is pretty strange
this time. I am thankful for many moments and people I was allowed to share time
with, but the big main issues remain disillusioning. this year was coined by two
main issues, also cutty the year into two parts: on the one hand the ‘crunch time’
offensive, my last approach to find gallery representation and the accident leading
to a pilon fracture. I was taking all these issues sportsmanlike, but the longer
things take, the more you feel like in a dead end. |
2017-11-07 tate
britain: free for all, but not for everyone | entry by sven | |
when I had the chance to
go to london and to spend just one day here it was obsolete to also visit a museum.
london offers a lot, but you have to decide on one if you want to make a serious
visit. tate britain appeared to be a great choice: tate! and the british version
focussing on british art! |
2017-11-01 off
to england: same as home, just the opposite | entry by sven | |
as you might know after
reading my last entry I was not spending too much time outside, so as things are
getting a bit more mobile again time was up to visit the british island. england
has been on schedule for years now, and recently there were no reasons for delay
anymore. after the stressful birthday parties I was really ready for some time
off, even more ‘off’ than just staying at home and doing what you always do… |
2017-10-03 the
man who fell to earth (and broke a leg) | entry by sven | |
this funny headline had
been drifting around in my head since I´ve returned from a dreamless narcosis
staring at the wall of in my room in the hospital. it is a story which is as boring
as surprising. I had great plans for the long pentecost weekend: going to a club,
making a barbecue and just hang around in the sun. however, I tried to make a
nap on the friday before going to the club but I clould not fall asleep. so I
decided to go for ride with my bike, actually after a five year pause of biking
facing my second little tour. I did not come too far, in the siepen, a kind of
park surrounding a small brook, the blue laces of my adidas superstar suddenly
started to untighten and winding around the pedal. it fixed my foot on the pedal
forcing me to loose balance and to dropped like a pile of laundry. I slided down
a slope hitting bushes and nettles. I realized I could not use my right food properly
anymore, there was pain but for me hard to tell how hard it is. I returned to
the bike like a dog, the residents nearby must have seen me crawling around, wondering
what is wrong with me. they called an ambulance and took care of my bike. |
2017-05-23 a bunch
of things back from boxes | entry by sven | |
recently there is a lot
going on, ideas and plans form and fall apart just to form in a new way. there
are no special issues to talk about, I have just realized to have collected some
pictures waiting to be posted and commented, so I think the journal might be the
best place for this. |
2017-05-01
art cologne #51: multi-coloured post-conceptional | entry by sven | |
for the 51st time the art
cologne opened its gates once again to give an overview on available artworks
and the globally successful artists and dealers. actually the annual opening delivered
an even more important phenomenon about its relevance. I have learned and accepted
over the years that it is not about culture or concepts and i consider it as suitable
to celebrate the commercial side of the global culture. all of this digital reporting
have worked out that next to the galleries and their ware it is the need to be
there and part of it. and it is necessary to be the first to post a pic on instagram,
earlier than anyone else, grinning, if possible with an (important) gallerist
(also grinning). the eraly bird thing seems to be so seductive that there are
pre-openings (or even pre-pre-openings) and it is only logical to skip sunday
for opening. so the pic above has been done while leaving, maybe this is not the
first, maybe the last view on the halls… |
2017-04-22
just send a sexy robot (and i´ll be there) | entry by sven | |
in the last blog post I
have reported about the stedelijk´s jordan wolfson solo show ‘TRUTH/LOVE’, my
sceptical view on it and the reason for visiting it anyway. (you should read it
to get full access for this one). in 2014 I got to know about a work by wolfson
and found a view video snippets of a female android, dressed in a tight white
dress covering the upper part of her face with a witch mask, speaking and dancing
in front of a small audience. this animatronic work is known as ‘female figure’
and was created in collaboration with spectral
motion, a company that usually creates monsters for hollywood movies. next
to dancing on beat, lip-syncing the songs and speaking pseudo-poetic phrases this
sexy robot has another convincing trick to offer. while showing her seven minute
performance she is able to make eye contact and really follow you while walking
around in the room. |
2017-04-20
jordan wolfson: a future gifted and hollow | entry by sven | |
since reading that jordan
wolfson is going to do a solo show at stedelijk museum amsterdam it was clear
that there was in need to return. it is no secret, I am very sceptical about his
work and attitude, but I have to respect his success and carrier to be witnessed.
the stedelijk seems to be the perfect place for him after showing avery k. singer
and jon rafman last year, I reported in 2016-07-29 future art, beach drowsing
and busy studio work | entry by sven. (the museum seems to have a favour for
the new generation…) back then, i was truly fascinated but in the end not impressed
by the post internet or post conceptional movement. |
2017-04-17
new show concept for post easter | entry by sven | |
in the last funny blog post
I have already reported about the somehow strange connection of good friday and
its awesome productiveness. indeed, the days of and around easter are great to
calm down, to spend some time with the family and have some extra time to finish
productions and fix ideas. |
2017-04-14
the best good friday in the world | entry by sven | |
the best good friday in
the world has become a running gag. of course, good friday is one of the calm
custom days, but for me it was classically connected to trips to the netherlands,
fish and making a catalogue. pretty strange, uh!? |
2017-03-29
silver linings and back in the game | entry by sven | |
this spring and its plans
differ a little. you know that I’m recently questioning what I do a lot, even
wondering if there is a need to go this way. after ten years of making shows I
feel tired and need to turn things a little bit into serious and commercial directions.
I am playing with the idea to scale down the studio, this is what I have to do
anyway ending up in the upcoming summer break. there haven´t been plans for autumn
at all and I liked the idea to not care what would come up next. |
2017-03-09
same area code but close to big names | entry by sven | |
it is not a secret that
I am recently wondering how to go on, on the one hand I feel a little exhausted
in making works and shows, on the other I am seeking new ways to present and sell
stuff. actually I do not even take too many photographs recently, even when I
can discover new places. above you see me on the ferry boat to texel (actually
leaving texel), seaking for time-off, not for pictures. |
2017-02-27
worshipping masses of a new religion (no salvation) | entry by sven | |
it has been a busy start
of the year, actually with openings and interviews, a lot (invisible) extra work
for making money and no time to get rid of a persistent illness. no sauna, sports
or chicken soup could made me escape from this bad cold, so i ended up home, sleeping,
cuffing and sometimes thinking. before it got me I had the chance to see gregor
schneider´s ‘wand vor wand’ at the kunsthalle bonn. what new can you add to the
perception of this genius, this show was big, complex, funny and scary but actually
pretty poppy for his own terms (you know, the shock of ‘END’ is still there…).
before making it to see the show, I could witness fellow artists and curators
visit it on instagram, of course I have added my own i-was-in-the-cool-place-too
picture as well. let´s keep this in mind. |
2017-02-09
still alive and less important: life in blogs | entry by sven | |
it is a great honor to be
chosen to contribute work to the ‘let´s buy it / kunst und einkauf’ group show,
it was even more great when the museum´s resident blogger sarah bauer announced
to interview me for the blog. even if there is too much to do for me, we managed
to meet up yesterday. sarah appeared well-prepared and truly interested. she announced
that it is great to have artists on the show that are still alive (I am) so you
can make an interview. also it is good for her to have artists that are not so
important (yet), so they are not too arrogant to ignore her requests. well, I
always knew that it must be an advantage to be still alive and less important. |
2017-02-04
svenchen´s big score (langlauf, shooting, screening) | entry by sven | |
I am pretty busy recently,
i´m looking forward to the artists talk tomorrow as well to some further dates
of interviews and lectures, recently it is a good time to feel important (I hope
you´ll get the irony) giving me the thrill to move on knowing that things may
happen if I keep going. anyway, I don´t want to share deep thoughts with you,
today I just want to share two funny anecdotes from the last weeks. |
2017-01-15
boy with thorne at the artist talk: use your illusion | entry by sven | |
these days are really busy
again, fortunately not as stressful as expected. i am recently preparing two group
shows at museums and will have to hit some dates next week, nevertheless there
is time for thinking. |
2017-01-07
common procedures against better judgement | entry by sven | |
a happy new year to you
first of all! recently I do not really feel to have something very important to
announce, I simply thought I should start the new year in the journal and share
some recent thoughts and pictures. |