With works by Tarek Aly, Kassandra von Aschenbach, Nadine Baldow, Nastia
Eliseeva, Katrin Kampmann, Leopold Landrichter, Inna Levinson, Mikołaj
Poliński, Brigitte Schröck, Misa Shimomura, Mike Strauch
The game carves out its own
place at a distance from banality. It carries its objective within itself and
because of its lack of purpose it is capable of creating new worlds. The
ludologist Johann Huizinga attributed the game – being a vehicle of cultural
development – to a feeling of suspense and joy and an awareness of ´being
different` from ´normal life`. Art resembles a game of cards
whose exact rules nobody knows. Yet all play or play poker. The artists are
bidding as to what they want to show, the curators are assessing what they can
show, the spectators are asking themselves what they want to love, the
collectors what they will buy and the critics what they should write.
The “Joker” exhibition at Haus am Lützowplatz sheds light on the joker as a “wild card” in the game
In a game of cards the Joker’s
function is to fill any arbitrary place. It is unassigned to any colour, and
free. It is the ´wild card` representing an advocate for all outsiders and also
providing hope and help in moments of helplessness. The Joker symbolizes the king`
s jester who – as the only one – could express the truth in front of the king
without having to fear consequences. This jester`s license enabled him to
criticize existing conditions without being punished. Players in art can be both
Joker and Homo ludens, players with a serious duty and an important mirror of
society. Their spaces of game are abyss and dreamland.
Curated by Sarah Letzel & Asja Wolf
The
Vernissage will take place on 01.08.24 from 7 pm.
Runtime: Fri, 02/08/2024 to Sun, 25/08/2024