Manifesta 11, what people do for money
Zürich, Switzerland, 2016
exhibition direction: Thomas Engelbert
German artist C. Jankowsky proposes the curatorial frame: 35 new commissions, all to be developed in collaboration with a local host from different professions.
The exhibition is displayed in 4 institutional venues - Kunsthalle Zürich, Migros Museum, the Luma Foundation, all located in the Löwenbräu Areal, and the Helmhaus - plus in 20 satellites/ off-spaces, related to the work-environment of the host.
The exhibition is displayed in 4 institutional venues - Kunsthalle Zürich, Migros Museum, the Luma Foundation, all located in the Löwenbräu Areal, and the Helmhaus - plus in 20 satellites/ off-spaces, related to the work-environment of the host.
The Pavillon of Reflections is developped to serves as central hub and art cinema, Cabaret Voltaire, is converted into the Zunfthaus der Künstler.
As M11 exhibition director Thomas Engelbert is mainly responsable for the development and production of the new commissions, the development of the exhibition in the Institutional and Satellite venues and the development and execution of the Pavillon of Reflections-project.
Manifesta 11, new commissions:
Mike Bouchet, Zürich Load
Migros Museum & satellite Werthölzli, Zürich, Switzerland, 2017
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| Mike Bouchet, Zürich Load, post production treatment, Migros Museum, Zürich, 2017 |
Mike Bouchet comes to work with Phillip Sigg, engineer at the Werthölzli Water depuration facilities. Main side-product of the depuration is a daily amount of roughly 80.000kg of sludge, mainly composed by the depositions of Zúrich´s inhabitants.
Bouchet decides to convert the natural raw material into a sculptural compound to be presented in one of Zürich´s leading art institutions.
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| Zürich Load - team at production of sludge cubes, Werthözli, Zürich, March 2017 |
The sludge is dispensed into heavy duty industrial compulsory mixers, mingled with lime to solidify the material and act against micro organisms, filled into pre-produced moulds, condensed and stored for desiccation.
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| Bouchet´s Zürich Load, sludge cubes in desiccation storage |
Due to a cold and humid spring the desiccation process takes longer than aspired, mold starts to grow, requiring a couple of mayor treatment sessions. Climate continued to be an adversary, by the time to start the installation they have not yet entirely dried.
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| Zürich Load-cubes at desiccation storage, mold-treatment Paired with a plainly insufficient air-exchange system of the institution, the elevated temperature inside the museum accelerates the interaction of rest-humidity, bacterias and the lime, resulting in a, although below health-risk levels, notable ammonia release, causing Migros´ direction, some next-door galleries and alt-standing neighbours to protest and call for lawyers. The conservative/ nationalist SVP even introduces a polemical motion in the local government assembly for an immediate removal of the `still fresh´ artwork. |
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| installation of Zürich Load at the Migros Museum, Zürich, May 2017 |
To prevent the sculpture from expulsion and calm irritated noses and spirits, mayor efforts to accelerate the desiccation are made. Numerous industrial dehumidifiers drain around 200l of water /day, strong ventilation and industrial air extraction is installed, ionisation procedures and ozone-treatments are applied for air-cleaning.
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ozon-treatment equipment working at Zürich Load in the Migros Museum
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The installation is composed by 256 cubes, aprox. 80x80x60cm each, summing a total of 80kt of original Zürich Sludge, equivalent to Zürich´s daily amount, literally produced with the contribution of the cities entire population.
Beyond all lamentation, the exhibition and especially Zürich load, the most discussed, loved and hated piece of art in Manifesta 11, attracts more visitors than ever before to the Löwenbräu Areal.
Beyond all lamentation, the exhibition and especially Zürich load, the most discussed, loved and hated piece of art in Manifesta 11, attracts more visitors than ever before to the Löwenbräu Areal.
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| Zürich Load by Mike Bouchet, Migros Museum, Manifesta 11, Zürich, 2016 |
Teresa Margolles, Juego de Damas
Kunsthalle Zürich, satellite Rothaus, Zürich, 2016
Kunsthalle Zürich, satellite Rothaus, Zürich, 2016
The Mexican artist originally plans to generate an encounter of Zürich and Tijuana based transexual prostitutes for some poker rounds as set to sort out differences and similarities of living and working conditions in the two most distinct environments.
While sexual services form legally part of what people do for money in the as protestant as neoliberal Switzerland, so a sex worker can achieve reasonable economic and social well being, prostitution in catholic Mexico, although some areas of the country serve a the United States´ most `competitive´ sex-club, is illegal and transsexuality officially does not exist. As the Mexican state therefore ignores the sector, the business is controlled by criminal organisations, and sex workers especially from the LGBT collective, are widely marginated, lawless and often live in constant danger.
During years of prior research the artist already established close ties to some Mexican transsexual workers from illegal basement ball-rooms in the Tijuana area, while in Zürich Teresa Margolles develops a close working relation and friend-ship with the local high-end sex worker Sonya Vera Victoria Bohorquéz, frequent guest in the cities fancy hotels and acquainted to solvent figures from business, politics and even the FIFA.
While working already on Visa permits and flights for the Mexican collaborators, one of them is jailed after an illegal attempt to enter the United States, and the day before Christmas 2016 Carla, our Mexican protagonist is found with her skull crushed in a Tijuana Back-street. Although there are witnesses, the murder will never be solved nor atoned for.
In response to dramatic situation Sonja agrees to travel herself to Tijuana to meet her Mexican fellow trans-sex-workers in their habitual environment. The film, documenting the travel and encounter is screened during Manifesta 11 in the Kunsthalle Zürich.
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| `Carla´/ Juego de Damas, Teresa Margolles, Satellite Rothaus, Manifesta 11, Zürich |
Mauricio Cattelan in collaboration Edith Wolf Hunkeler
The water-wheel-chair project, Manifesta 11, Zürich 2017
When Maurizio meets para-olympic world champion Edith Wolf-Hunkler in the context of Manifesta 11, Zürich, at some moment he invisions her, near like Jesus walking on the water, floating across Lake Zürich in her wheel chair.
For the purpose Thomas Engelbert invents a water-wheel-chair floater.
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| 1. design, wheel-chair-water-carrier, Zürich, 2016 |
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| wheel-chair-water-carrier at dock at Pavillon of Reflections, M11, Zürich, 2016 |
The user accesses the carrier over a ramp. On the carrier the wheels come to hold in between two rollers, connected via gears to axles and propellers.
Once positioned on the device, the user continues driving the wheel-chair as would be done on solid ground.
The transmission of the wheels´ movement to the sub-acuatic propellers generates the propulsion of the vehicle.
A bi-partition of the rollers and correspondant 2 propellers permit left-right, back and forth movement.
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| wheel-chair-water-carrier, prototype test, Zürich, April 2016 |
In Martin Fischer at a-faire.ch an art afine and excellently skilled mechanic and smith is found who forges the entirely hand-made proto-type.
In order to show and actively use the piece on the public lake Zurich within the manifesta context, local authorities requiere the device to be positioned in the manifesta controlled acuatic area.
* A guiding ramp and ponton are designed to bridge from the floor level of the Pavillon of Reflection onto the floating carrier at water level.
The development of this new invention within manifesta 11 goes beyond art and fun-factors, opening un-precendent possibilities of locomotion to disabled individuals.
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| Edith Wolf-Hunkeler riding wheel-chair-water-carrier, Lake Zürich, 2016 |
Santiago Sierra, Protected Building
in collaboration with security advisor Marcel Hirschi @ Security & Safety
Helmhaus, Manifesta 11, Zürich, 2017
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| Protected Building, Santiago Sierra, Helmhaus, Zürich 2016 |
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| inside view Protected Building, Santiago Sierra, Helmhaus, Zürich 2016 |
Una Szeemann, Die Reise des Samens
in collaboration with Dr phil. Peter Hair and Dr Phil. Olaf Knellessen
Manifesta 11, Zürich, 2016
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| Una Szeemann, preparations at the artist´s studio for Manifesta 11 new commission, Zürich, 2016 |
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| Una Szeemann, preparations at the artist´s studio for Manifesta 11 new commission, Zürich, 2016 |
@ Luma Foundation Zürich, satellite: Psychological practice Dr.phil. Olaf Knellessen
Marguerite Humeau, when skies were not named yet (I)
in collaboration with Mathias Bürki, Autonomous System Lab, ETH Zürich
Manifesta 11, Zürich, 2016
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| trial for cynodont `mating ballet´, ETH Zürich, 2016
Two sculptures, resembling ancient cynodonts, are mounted on autonomous robots, programmed to move around, emit mating calls, spray unidentified liquids towards and approach each other, without ever achieving direct touch.
The laterals of the space are clothed in hormones-tinted canvas, the cynodonts seem to float in a diffuse hormon-saturaded mist. The scenario is set-up in a former Lab at ETH Zürich.
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Marguerite Humeau, When skies above were not named yet (I), ETH Zürich, 2016
Jon Kessler, The world is cuckoo (clock)
in collaboration with Adriano Toninelli @ Panerai
Manifesta 11, satellite Les Ambassadeurs, Zürich, 2016
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maintenance at The world is cuckoo (clock), Manifesta 11, Zürich, 2016
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Evgeny Antuvief, Eternal Garden
in collaboration with Martin Rüsch, Wasserkirche Zürich, 2016
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Evgeny Antuvief, Eternal Garden, Wasserkirche Zürich, 2016
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Production Management was further realised for:
Franz Erhard Walther, Halbierte Westen
in collaboration with textile developer Thomas Deutschenbaur @ Development never stops,
@ Kunsthalle Zürich, satélite:Park-Hyatt Hotel
Jennifer Tee, Ether Plane/ Material Plane
in collaboration with Rolf Steinmann, Head of Zürich Funeral and Cemetery OfficeLoans ( ethnological artefacts from
@ Kunsthalle and satelite Cementary Enzenbühl
Guillaume Bijl, Dogsalon Bobby,
in collaboration with dog stylist Jacqueline Meier@ Kunsthalle Zürich and satelite Gallery Grieder
Michel Houellebecq, Is Michel Houellebecq OK?
in collaboration with Dr.med Henry Perschak
@Helmhaus
Fermin Jimenez Landa, One Day Ahead
in collaboration with meteorologist Peter Wick and wether prophet Martin Horat
@ Migros Museum
Torbjørn Rødland, Intra=&Extraoral
in collaboration with Dr. med.dent Danielle Heller Fontana@ Kunsthalle Zürich, satellite: dental clinic Heller Fontana
Andrea Iva Györi, Vibrationhighway
in collaboration with sex-expert Maggie Tapert and sex-therapist Dr. Phil Dania Schiftan
@ Kunsthalle Zürich
Marko Schmidt, Exterminating Badges
in collaboration with Dr Reto Scherrer, Head of Communications Kantonspolizei Zürich
@ Luma Foundation, satellite: Kantonspolizei Zürich
Asli Çavusoglu, Muthoscapes
in collaboration with conservator Nicolas Boissonnas
@Kunsthalle Zürich, satellite: Tourism office Central Station
Shelly Nadashi, Nesting Box
in collaboration with Dr. Margaretha Debrunner
@ Helmhaus, satellite: Literaturgymnasium Rämibühl
Manifesta 11, Zürich 2016