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The object per se has a central role for the artist. Born in Barcs (Hungary) in 1974, she is now living in Hanover, Budapest and Paris. Since 2008, she is working on her series “dulce et decorum”, that is strolling between decoration and ornament, belittlement and aesthetics, glorification and ridiculousness, tribal art and customisation.

Is death becoming sweet with such weapons? Is it a possible reality at all, this sweet and commendable death, to which the exhibition’s title is referring? “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” (it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country), Horace once said. Wilfred Owen replied to “the old lie” with his powerfull poem “Dulce et Decorum est” that he wrote in 1917 (but that was only posthumously published in 1920) and in which he describes a gas attack during the First World War and subsequent, agonising death.

Kata Legrady: Bombs & Candies – dulce et decorum
26 January until 26 February 2012

Denkerei/Amt für Arbeit an unlösbaren Problemen
Oranienplatz 2
10999 Berlin
Germany

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A quote by publicist Sebastian Haffner may serve as this exhibition’s leitmotif:

„History is not something fixed such as nature. History itself is artificial. Not everything that has happened will become history, but only sometimes when historians consider it worth to write it down somewhere. (…) History – to be very harsh – is not reality, but a branch of literature.“¹

After taking part in the Wartist group show “Zeitenwende” (turning point) about ten years of 9/11, also at ARD-Hauptstadtstudio (1 September – 23 October 2011), Jens Kloppmann presents in “Die Prosa der Ereignisse” a cross-section of his work of the past years: A series of video loops is condensing moments of recent history. The cycle “Bullet Holes” transfers plaster casts of bullet holes on Berlin house fronts into an artistic level. In the series “Diktatoren mit Tieren” (dictators with animals), Kloppmann combines historical and contemporary despots with animals that much more emphasise their characters than the usual symbols of might and power. The cycle “Im fotografischen Exil – Rache für Trotzki” (in the photographic exile – revenge for Trotsky) puts Trotsky (who was removed from official photographs during Stalinism) into other historical photos and thus offers an artistic exile. The diversity of materials used will be completed by fretworks, confronting the viewer with historical, but also pop-cultural links.

The artist will be present on the occasion of the opening. At the end of the exhibition, a catalogue will be published. We are very grateful for the kind support by Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft e.V. and SONY Deutschland.

Die Prosa der Ereignisse
Works by Jens Kloppmann
8 February – 15 April 2012 (daily after reservation by phone, fax or email)
Opening: 7 February 2012, 1900h (prior reservation necessary)

ARD-Hauptstadtstudio
Wilhelmstr. 67a
D-10117 Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49-(0)30-2288 1100
Fax: +49-(0)30-2288 1109
Email kommunikation@ard-hauptstadtstudio.de

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