Stefan Boness: Flander Fields

Der preisgekrönte Fotograf Stefan Boness setzte sich in seiner langjährigen Serie „Flanders Fields“ mit den Schlachtfeldern des Ersten Weltkriegs in Flandern auseinander. Der Titel verweist auf das insbesondere in der englischsprachigen Welt bekannte Gedicht “In Flanders Fields” des kanadischen Offiziers John McCrae, sowie auf die konzeptionelle Eingrenzung auf die einstigen Schlachtfelder Belgiens. Von 2005 bis heute kehrte Boness immer wieder und bewusst zu unterschiedlichen Jahreszeiten zurück, zusammen für mehr als ein dreiviertel Jahr: „Manche Themen sind flüchtig, andere bleiben. Das ist eben ein Thema, von dem kommt man nicht los.“

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Exhibition: Stephan Schenk – Kreuzweg (Berne)

Between 13 January and 11 February 2018, photogapher Stephan Schenk presents his most impressive cycle “Kreuzweg” (way of the cross/crossing) on the global battles of the First World War in the eponymous exhibition at gallery Kunstraum Oktogon in Berne, Switzerland.

The whole cycle consists of 14 monumental woven tapestries, based on large-format photos of First World War battle landscapes. Schenk, however, did not make classic landscape pictures, but used reduction and abstraction instead: He photographed an area of two by three metres of the respective ground – the individual fighting space of a soldier, as well as the space for being laid at rest.

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Exhibition: Jacques Grison – Devant Verdun (Bar-le-Duc, F)

From 16 November 2017 to 30 March 2018, Jacques Grison presents his photos on the battlefield of Verdun from his series “Devant Verdun” in the eponymous exhibition in the gallery of the département’s administration in Bar-le-Duc (France) präsentieren. Since decades, Grison, who was born in the region, approaches the former battlefield through his photos: His pictures show the wounds of war, still visible in a landscape that was shaped by the fighting one hundred years ago.

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Verdun: Der lange Weg zum Frieden 1916-2016 (Institut Français Berlin)

Institut Français Berlin presents the photo exhibition “Verdun: Der lange Weg zum Frieden 1916-2016” (Verdun: the long way to peace 1916-2016) one hundred years after the Battle of Verdun. Since years, British photographer Michael St Maur Sheil addresses the battle fields of the First World War. The battle changed the landscape, which is visible even nowadays: forts and gun cupolas that were shot to pieces, shell holes and trenches, barbed wire and unexpolded munitions. Continue reading “Verdun: Der lange Weg zum Frieden 1916-2016 (Institut Français Berlin)”

Film Premiere: Kriegsfotografinnen (Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin)

On 24 February 2016, the documentary “Kriegsfotografinnen: Der Kampf um Bilder, Leben und Tod” (women war photographers: fighting for pictures, lives and death) by Sigrid Faltin will have its premiere at Martin-Gropius-Bau Berlin. After the screening, Pascale Hugues (Le Point) talks with Christine Spengler, one of the film’s photographers. Continue reading “Film Premiere: Kriegsfotografinnen (Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin)”

Lecture “‘An artwork, liked by men’ – 100 Years of War as Mirrored by Art” (Berlin)

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

grounded/airborne (Kleine Galerie, Torgau)

Usually, wartist.org contains articles about exhibitions of other artists, movies, galleries and museums. Today, however, we have the pleasure to write on our own issues: ausgebildete Photographer Martin Bayer (educated at Lette-Verein Berlin) presents from 28 February to 10 April 2014 his exhibition grounded/airborne at Kleine Galerie (Torgauer Kunst- und Kulturverein “Johann Kentmann” e.V.). The photos from his series grounded show details of retired military planes; they will be historically commented by some aerial pictures from the First World War. Grounded addresses the medial and artistic aestheticisation of weapons, while both the clear assignment of the pictured objects to historic events and the alleged simple classification into “friend” and “enemy” become desintegrated.

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Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War (Imperial War Museum North, Manchester)

From 12 October 2013 until 23 February 2014, the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester presents the exhibition “Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War”, containing works of more than 40 contemporary artists about war in our time. The IWM’s huge and diverse collection could provide all the more than 70 works that have been made sinde the Gulf War of 1990/91. Among others, Steve McQueen, Frauke Eigen, Paul Seawright, Rasheed Araeen and Willie Doherty take part in this exhibition.

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