GLAUBE LIEBE HOFFNUNG
KUNSTHAUS AND KULTUM, GRAZ
APR 13 -AUG 26, 2018

FAITH LOVE HOPE: THREE TELLING WORDS FORM THE TITLE OF THIS EXHIBITION IN THE KUNSTHAUS GRAZ AND THE KULTUM. THEY DESCRIBE THE ‚THREE DIVINE VIRTUES’, YET ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN NON-RELIGIOUS CONTEXTS. THE THREE TERMS HAVE MANY MEANINGS AND WE ASSOCIATE THEM WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS. SEVERAL QUESTIONS LIE AT THE HEART OF THE EXHIBITION . HOW DO RELIGION AND CONTEMPORARYART INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER? HOW DO NOTIONS OF FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE FIND EXPRESSION IN ART? THISTOUR TOUCHES ON A NUMBER OF TERMS AND ISSUES WHICH APPEAR OF INTEREST IN THIS CONTEXT AND RELATE THEM TO SELECTED WORKS OF ART.

CURATORS: KATRIN BUCHER TRANTOW, JOHANNES RAUCHENBERGER AND BARBARA
STEINER

IMAGES IN SITU © UNIVERSALMUSEUM JOANNEUM AND KULTUM

„THE WHITE EXPLOIT“, PERFORMANCE
ACTORS WERE SMOKING THEIR CIGARETTES IN SILENCE. THEIR CHARACTERISTIC WHITE COSTUMES AND SPECIFIC POSE REFERRED TO THE APPEARANCE OF THE GUILTY REMNANT SECT DEPICTED IN THE LEFTOVERS AMERICAN SERIES. THE ACTION SHARES ITS TITLE WITH A VIDEO PRESENTED AT KUNSTHAUS GRAZ AT THE TIME. THE ARTISTS’ WORK FEATURES THE SAME MOTIF OF THE SERIES.

„THE WHITE EXPLOIT“, 2018
HD FILE 1920X1080,7 MIN 55 S
„THE WHITE EXPLOIT“ WAS DEVELOPPED AS ONE OF THE SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL GROUP SHOW „FAITH LOVE HOPE“ IN KUNSTHAUS GRAZ, FILMED ON LOCATION IN A CHATHOLIC SEMINARY. THE CHAIN-SMOKING, SILENT WATCHERS IN WHITE ARE A REFERENCE TO „THE GUILTY REMNANT“ IN THE AMERICAN TV-SERIES „THE LEFTOVERS“. THERE IT’S AN ORGANIZATION WHOSE MEMBERS ARE SELF-PROCLAIMED „LIVING REMINDERS“ SEEN BY MANY AS NIHILISTIC AND ATHEIST. ONE OF THE MAIN ASPECTS OF THE PIECE IS THE TENSION CREATED BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT LAYERS OVERLAPPING: THE EVERYDAY ACTION OF THE „REAL“ SEMINARISTS EATING THEIR LUNCH ON ONE SIDE AND THE ACTORS FORMING TABLEAUX OF WATCHERS HIGHLY CHARGED WITH PATHOS.
THE TITLE IS A QUOTE FROM A POEM BY EMILY DICKINSON, THE SOUNDTRACK „THE PLAINT“ BY HENRY PURCELL, SUNG BY ALFRED DELLER.