Art & Discourse: Exploring Atlanten – Ich oder das Chaos at HALLE FÜR KUNST

Welcome to our radio show, produced from recordings made during
the workshop at HALLE FÜR KUNST on August 24, 2024. In this
episode, we’ll be exploring two significant exhibitions:
Atlanten – Ich oder das Chaos by Franz Kapfer and Ever/Repair
by Isabel Lewis and Dirk Bell.


Franz Kapfer’s exhibition, Atlanten – Ich oder das Chaos,
delves deep into the examination and interpretation of
historically charged objects. Kapfer critically engages with
methods of historiography, analyzing how historical symbols,
codes, and monuments are politically and media-driven, often
manipulated, and how they continue to shape contemporary
societies. His work uncovers the profound political dimensions
these objects carry.


In recognition of the Styrian State Prize for Visual Arts in
2022, Kapfer has created a new large-scale work series focusing
on the mythological figure of Atlas. In architecture, male,
muscular, and oversized columnar figures are referred to as
Atlantes, inspired by the Greek titan who bore the heavens on
his shoulders. This monumental installation, along with older
works, provides an expansive view of Kapfer’s artistic journey,
blending new and past pieces in a retrospective format.


In parallel with his exhibition at HALLE FÜR KUNST, Kapfer also
presents a simultaneous intervention at the Landeszeughaus in
Graz, home to a vast collection of early modern weaponry.
There, he has installed ten large-scale, vividly colored paper
stencils, which stand as architectural blueprints for darker,
dystopian versions of the Atlantes displayed in the HALLE FÜR
KUNST. This dual exhibition highlights the ongoing conversation
Kapfer fosters about the political and cultural weight of
historical artifacts.


Meanwhile, Isabel Lewis and Dirk Bell’s Ever/Repair complements
these themes by exploring history’s relevance to the present
through sounds and texts, particularly focusing on the Jamaican
Junkanoo Carnival and how care practices can resist and heal
the legacy of colonial violence.


During our workshop, we first visited the exhibitions, where
curator Jan Tappe guided us through the works with an engaging
tour. Afterward, we gathered to dive deeper into the
exhibition’s concepts, opening up a rich discussion about the
artistic and political discourses at play.


We are also excited to invite you to a special radio workshop
on October 19, 2024, from 14:00 to 17:00! Together with the
team from Radio Helsinki, we will visit the exhibition of
artist Mathias Poledna at HALLE FÜR KUNST Steiermark.


During this workshop, we’ll discuss art, pop culture, as well
as film and music history, and record audio material. By the
end of the session, we’ll create our very own radio segment
together.


The workshop is free of charge. Please register by October 15th
at cf@halle-fuer-kunst.at. Join us—we look forward to seeing
you!


Photo: Wolfgang Oeggl, HALLE FÜR KUNST Steiermark