Zones of Conflict HeK (House of Electronic Arts Basel)
duration: 17.09.2015 – 15.11.2015
In his works, Spanish artist Daniel G. Andújar deals with political and social issues and reflects on the relationship between reality and its representation in digital worlds. He starts off with collections of various found media that he uses for his video and Internet projects, as well as arrangements of objects, prints and photographs.
Key themes are the power structures in dominant, hierarchical social systems and the role of technology as an instrument of state control. Andújar uses the representation strategies of media in an ironic and critical manner, asking whether information and communication technologies truly uphold their stated commitment to democratic and egalitarian values. He thus points out the discrepancy between the utopian idea of the Internet as a democratic space, and its actual capabilities and limitations. Andújar thus keeps returning to subversive tactics of occupation and civil disobedience – tactics that use social networks and the Internet to reframe the concept of freedom.
With “Konfliktzonen / Zones of Conflict“ the HeK (House of Electronic Arts Basel) presents the artist’s first solo exhibition in Switzerland. The exhibition includes works created between 1998 and 2015 on themes related to conflicts, protest movements and geo-political crises. All invite the visitor to take a critical look at today’s communication media and technologies.
Daniel G. Andújar:
Daniel G. Andújar (b. 1966 in Almoradi, Spain) lives and works in Barcelona. He created his first artistic works in the late 1980s, mostly working with video. Early on, he experimented with the creative possibilities of the Internet. In 1996 he founded the fictitious company “Technologies To The People.” In this context, he also promoted various collective projects on the Internet, such as art-net-dortmund, e-barcelona.org, e-valencia.org, eseoul.org, e-sevilla.org, e-stuttgart.org, postcapital.org, e-madrid.org, etc. Andujar has taught in several countries and conducted workshops for artists and social collectives. His works have been shown in numerous exhibitions worldwide; the Spanish National Museum Reina Sofia in Madrid hosted a comprehensive, one-man show from January to April 2015.
Opening: 16.09.2015, 19:00
Vernissage Daniel G. Andújar – Konfliktzonen / Zones of Conflict
19:00 16.09.2015
Mit „Konfliktzonen / Zones of Conflict“ präsentiert das HeK die erste Einzelausstellung des spanischen Künstlers Daniel G. Andújar in der Schweiz. Andújars Arbeiten zeichnen sich durch eine kritische Nutzung digitaler Medien aus, die er auf ihre Auswirkungen auf das Reale hinterfragt. Eine Auseinandersetzung mit aktuellen Themen, die Befragung des Potentials von künstlerischen Interventionen im digitalen wie im urbanen Raum und der Einsatz von subversiven Aneignungstaktiken bilden eine Schlüsselrolle seines künstlerischen Schaffens. Andújar nutzt Ironie und arbeitet mit medialen Repräsentationsstrategien, um die Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien auf ihre demokratischen und egalitären Versprechen hin zu hinterfragen. Die Ausstellung im HeK fokussiert auf Werke, die sich mit sozialen, politischen und ökonomischen Konflikten, Protestbewegungen, und geopolitischen Krisen auseinandersetzen.
Vernissage: 16.09.2015, 19:00
Der Künstler ist anwesend.
Begrüssung und Einführung:
Philippe Bischof, Leiter Abteilung Kultur Basel-Stadt
Sabine Himmelsbach, Direktorin HeK
Admission: 9 CHF / 6 CHF (red.)
Links: https://danielandujar.org