1989 Megaplex Worldwide Exhibition Aarhus in Pictures

1989 Megaplex Worldwide Exhibition Aarhus. in pictures Compiled by Nicol Savinetti // nicol@immart.dk

96 HOURS.

1 EXHIBITION 2 KIDS WORKSHOPS 1 ROUNDTABLE DEBATE

100+ HUMANS. 9 ARTISTS 9 VOLUNTEERS 15 NATIONALITIES 40 PARTICIPANTS 50+ VISITORS

3+ ORGANISATIONS. IMMART M’BARAKÁ DOMEN + COLLABORATORS

Gallerie Lorien Clarity Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke Red Cross Asylum Center Jelling Børnenes Friskole

Exhibition images captured by Greg Mcqueen

www.gregmcqueen.work

AngĂŠlique Sanossian

www.angeliquesanossian.com

ANARCHY OF SILENCE For me this work has always been about history and our seeming inability to learn from our collective past, the repeated atrocities carried out by us across time and generations, not only against our fellow man but also architecture and the environment.

Anarchy of Silence was originally conceived as a site-speciďŹ c work for a decommissioned military Fort on the East coast of England that aimed to examine themes of Defence and Protection. During my research preparation, I explored the fundamental reasons for the establishment of the Fort looking at historical notions of civil protection and defence, which led me to analyse the Geneva Conventions, established as the rules and standards of international law for humanitarian treatment in times of armed conict. I beg the question: to what extent does the convention still serve its original purpose? The work carries a simple strong message: History Repeats! And our blindness to history makes us repeat our mistakes over and over again. Drawing comparisons of both past and present highlights our own personal responsibility and associated implications of world frailty and vulnerability. Our silence which is merely disguised as stupidity, makes us accomplices, because we do nothing. What will it take for us to wake up and take responsibility for our own actions?

EDWINA GOLDSTONE

BOOK COVERS A remarkable feature of Deckmann‘s work is its relatability, regardless of gender, cultural background or age. Rather than solely presenting sinister aspects, it is made playful by adopting language that you may find on an instruction kit. He argues that “humor is an essential characteristic if you want to stay, not only sane but also happy.

Humor is somehow the instrument of the light-hearted.”

The works reflect Deckmann’s perception of life with all its beauty, humor, fear, meaning and lack of meaning, but most importantly, he showcases ruthless honesty. Although many of his works are humorous, Deckmann is still able to highlight and draw attention to the irony and tragic nature of our daily lives and what we often do to ourselves. They aim to entertain yet also bring awareness and stimulate the imagination of the viewer. "The right words can be like good medicine. I want my works to be like mirrors. When you look at them you might not like what you see, but [...] you get awareness and the chance to change something. Like little personal reminders disguised as art […] The art world is a perfect place to create awareness and awareness just might lead to a better wellbeing [...] We must reconsider the glasses that we have been given by our parents and by society, because we perceive the world and ourselves through these glasses. Make sure to see clearly".

JOHAN DECKMANN

EVOLUTION IS A MONSTER As a kid Giuseppe would watch western cowboy movies and weep at the sight of indians being killed. He would ask his mother: "why don't they ever live?"

Evolution is a Monster is about the indigenous and ancestral tribes that are being decimated by the greed of multinational enterprises. The work is a denunciation of the faceless greed of money rule, sting rolling the lives of people, their cultural heritage, history and language. It is the nature that is destroyed ďŹ rst, not because it is weaker but because it is on the way to the never-ending engagement of money making.

GIUSEPPE DE BELLIS

BLINDLY On 17 April 2016, the congressmen and women of Brazil voted to impeach Dilma Rousseff, the first female president of our country. That fateful day, during the voting, many members of the parliament seized the moment to deliver small speeches, before the “yes” or “no” to the impeachment. It was maybe the first time that the depth of the stupidity, misogyny and religiosity of the Brazilian congress' members became obvious and transparent.

Blindly came in reaction to that day of horror. I had this idea of collecting snails and making them perform for the camera, basically because their blind slimy movement seemed to me to be a very good image of how those in power appeared to operate. They are completely oblivious to the words they drag behind them, attached to their shells, corruption, coup, media, money ... all entangled in an aleatory design. Occasionally we hear one of the speeches of those who voted in favor of the impeachment, with frequent God invocations. Included is the most infamous of them, by the then-mediocre-congressman Jair Bolsonaro, who dedicated his vote in favor of impeachment to Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra, the colonel who headed a feared torture unit in the 1970s during the dictatorship.

KIKA NICOLELA

Click to watch excerpt on VIMEO

SECRET MEMORIES Colonial myths have subjected indigenous people to psychological warfare for hundreds of years. We have allowed Eurocentric imperialism to structure our history. And when our history is rewritten and distorted, our sense of identity, time and place is distorted as well.

The pieces explore themes of colonial myths that are still alive and commodiďŹ ed in the entertainment and fashion industry by major companies like Levi Strauss (behind the logo is a dark secret that goes back to slavery times) and Walt disney (ďŹ lms like Tasmanian Devil are closely related to the genocide of aboriginal people). Colonial economic culture is preserved by overlooking the origin of these narratives. The continual residual of that history that is to this day detrimental to its subjects.

Similarly, although portrayed as a white saviour, F W de Klerk is not a hero, he never loved South Africans. He was part of a generation of powerful white minority who colonized South Africa. As a result of the colonial legacy, Africa still is politically and socially distorted and underdeveloped. It is in our best interests to take responsibility for ourselves, pick up from where we left off, and make the changes we need to, starting by claiming our integrity and sovereignty. As an artist I try to use my agency to promote that.

JUPITER CHILD

PLEASE CONTINUE … THERE ARE MORE WORKS OF ART TO ENJOY …

HUMANS ARE FRAGILE I move You move We move But They moved because .....

Human beings are fragile creatures. Let us consider each other’s baggage: some are heavier than others but none of them are empty. They are filled with History, values and culture, and above all they are filled with Memories. Humanity today is more technologically powerful than ever before, and yet we feel increasingly fragile? Reflecting on my own life and observing everyone around me with my humble installation, I tried to put together all the reasons behind the VERB Moving.

ANGÉLIQUE SANOSSIAN

PLEASE CONTINUE … THERE ARE MORE WORKS OF ART TO ENJOY …

MATER TERIBILIS I believe we are not black nor white, not even grey, but we are a very complicated mix of good, bad, darkness and light.

From his use of colour and surreality, Peter Zelei creates a reality found only in his imagination, but with an emotion that is undeniably human. He explores the divide between darkness and light, unafraid to explore themes that others may ďŹ nd uncomfortable. He exposes the rawness, surreality, mysticism and yet also poetry of his surroundings. His photographs and photo manipulations are created within an immense subtleness and ease, taking the observer on a journey into the most intimate realms of the human experience, often delving into themes that some may ďŹ nd a bit uncomfortable but that are always thought-provoking.

PETER ZELEI

Opening Night images captured by Greg Mcqueen

www.gregmcqueen.work

AngĂŠlique Sanossian

www.angeliquesanossian.com

The exhbition opened on a cold and grey evening at the beautiful Dome at Pier 2, Aarhus harbour in Denmark.

Guests were invited to tour the exhibtion and enjoy performances by Jupiter Child, and Lucie Szabovรก who was accompanied by Nadia Okrusko on keyboard. The event was live-streamed and part of an international artistic action organised by Brussels-based Fam&Events asbl.

See Jupiter’s performance here (from 6:40) https://youtu.be/NHrJe_oixmQ

See Lucie and Nadia’s performance here: https://youtu.be/92J8S8PIh2w

Kids Workshops images captured by Zane Hartmane

https://www.flickr.com/photos/zanehartmane/

Angélique Sanossian

www.angeliquesanossian.com

Storytelling through Movement and Play

Children from Børnenes Friskole in Aarhus participated in a workshop that focused on the journey from idea and sensation to communication through the use of movement and physical improvisation. They explored their ability to share inner thoughts and feelings without words but through gesture, sound and play. The workshop was conducted by Ofer Ravid

Self-portrait Photography Workshop

Children from Red Cross Asylum Center in Jelling participated in a workshop focused on identity and visual narratives. The portraits were made BY the children and FOR the children. With the use of analog and digital techniques, they were able to create a powerful narrative about themselves. The workshop was conducted by Marianne Gil & Kasper Lauritzen of http://vhs-fabrikken.dk/

A SELECTION OF THE SELF-PORTRAITS

PLEASE CONTINUE … THERE’S MORE …

Roundtable debate images captured by Greg Mcqueen

www.gregmcqueen.work

Roundtable Debate Participants visit Exhibition

Prior to entering into debate, the participants Manuela Ciotti, Heiko Henkel, Gulnara Akhundova and the debate moderator, Sacramento Rosellรณ Martinez explored and discussed the works of art in the exhibition which enriched the ensuing debate.

1989 Megaplex Worldwide Exhibtion Aarhus took place between 14 & 17 November, 2019 at Domen, Pier 2, Aarhus, Denmark.

The project was produced and managed by Copenhagen-based IMMART in collaboration with Rio-based M’BARAKà .

For more info:

immart.dk/1989-megaplex-worldwide-exhibition-aarhus/ info@immart.dk @immartdk