Friday, August 23, 2013

Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye



V1 GALLERY PROUDLY PRESENTS

TOOT TOOT TOOTSIE GOODBYE

A group exhibition with:

Jake and Dinos Chapman, Stephen Dunne, Neal Fox, Susan Hiller, Dionisis Kavallieratos, Dennis Rudolph

Curated by Francesca Gavin


OPENING: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13. 2013. TIME: 17.00 - 22.00
EXHIBITION PERIOD: SEPTEMBER 14 – OCTOBER 19. 2013.

In 1945, the Nazis would broadcast German propaganda speeches on loudspeakers to the Allied enemies. Then a US soldier deactivating landmines, writer, director and actor Mel Brooks would respond by setting up speakers and singing Jewish musical theatre performer Al Jolsonʼs song 'Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye' on repeat to the Germans.

Mel Brooks has spent much of his career parodying Hitler and German national socialists. Yet his desire was not to lessen the horrors of war and genocide. As he stated in a 2006 interview with Der Spiegel, his aim was to bring Hitler and Nazis down with ridicule and laughter. “You can laugh at Hitler because you can cut him down to normal size... Of course it is impossible to take revenge for 6 million murdered Jews. But by using the medium of comedy, we can try to rob Hitler of his posthumous power and myths.”

Although much of the work in this exhibition is responding to the legacy of World War II and Nazis, the aim is to create an exhibition that highlights the increasing perils of the far right in contemporary Europe. The objective is to create a discussion that highlights the worrying current rise of parties who are exploiting a moment of economic crises for political aims – such as the Golden Dawn in Greece, Svoboda in the Ukraine, the Jobbik party in Hungary.

The point of the exhibition is not to soften or lessen the impact of the Nazis and the far right extremist rhetoric and violence. The intention in putting together this exhibition was to emphasise the importance of a continued awareness of the impact and horrors of the far right.

The lessons and experience of mid-20th century Europe are all too easily forgotten. By placing together work that veers from the satirical to the deeply disturbing, the aim is to create a real effect in the viewer. Hitting them with horror and the unacceptable at moments when humour has lowered their barriers.
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Francesca Gavin is a curator and writer based in London. She is the author of 4 books including ʻ100 New Artistsʼ and ʻNew Gothic Artʼ, is the Visual Arts Editor of ʻDazed & Confusedʼ magazine and the curator of the Soho House Collection. Francesca Gavin has curated shows internationally that include The Dark Cube at the Palais de Tokyo 2012, and The New Psychedelica at MU Eindhoeven 2011.
We look forward to seeing you. V1 Gallery

Please do not hesitate to contact the gallery for further information, press photos or artist interview:
+45 3331 0321 / mail@v1gallery.com / www.v1gallery.com / V1 Gallery / Flæsketorvet 69 / 1711 Copenhagen V / DK Opening hours: Wednesday-Friday: 12-18. Saturday: 12-16. Or by appointment.


THANK YOU: Tuborg for Tuborg, Galerie Jette Rudolph. Gallery Bernier-Eliades. White Cube. Timothy Taylor Gallery. Daniel Blau. Stephen Dunne. 

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Not So Far East Guide


I thought it was about time I updated my guide to London that I give to mates passing through town. Thought it was about time I did a specialised East London update (after all I spend far to much time in).

Galleries
Maureen Paley, Laura Bartlett and Herald St - the trio on Herald St
Chisenhale Gallery, 64 Chisenhale Rd, E3
SPACE, 129-131 Mare St, E8
Cell Project Space, 258 Cambridge Heath Rd, E8
Also: Seventeen Gallery, French Riviera, Welcome to Corfu, Kate MacGarryEighty1Almanac

Coffee
Allpress, 58 Redchurch St, E2 - but ask for one shot as this tasty rocket fuel guarantees sleepless nights
Beagle, 397-200 Geffrye St, E8 - under the arch of Hoxton Station
Climpson & Sons, 67 Broadway Market, E8
Wiltons, 63 Wilton Way, E8

Food
Pizza East Shoreditch, 56 Shoreditch High St - esp for the salads and smalls
Voodoo Rays, 95 Kingsland High St, E8 - pizza slice spot in the belly of the Dalston beast
Lardo, 197 Richmond Rd, E8 - great Italian
Viet Grill, 58 Kingsland Rd, E2 - the best of the Vietnamese strip of Kingsland Road
Bistroteque, 23-27 Wadeson St, E2 - sit at the bar (v excited by their new spot coming to the Ace Hotel)

Drink
Spurstowe, 68 Greenwood Rd, E8
Ridley Road Market Bar, 49 Ridley Rd, E8
The Royal Oak, 73 Columbia Road, London E2
Floyds, 89 Shaklewell Lane, E8 - the food up and down, the cocktails always amazing

Shop
Donlon Books, Broadway Market, E8
Artwords, 69 Rivington St, E2 - for magazines
Camden Lock Books - despite name this is a secretly amazing bookshop in Old St station
APC, 15 Redchurch St, E2
Aime, 17 Redchurch St, E2 - French womenswear
Also: Start, Goodhood

Image Tobias Till print 'G - Gherkin' (2012)

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Three things I cannot stop clicking on today




Stuart Matthewman's incredible old soul and doo wop radio show Royal Flush on Artonair.org

Today's flyer and programme for the afternoon of 8 changing shows at Welcome to Corfu

Studio Voltaire's editions shop where I am one breath away from buying the Alistair Frost risograph pictured above

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Ja Ja Ja Nee Nee Nee



Really enjoyed the Kippenberger show Zehr Gut at the Hamburger Banhopf - much more than I expected. 

My three favourites were: 

- the genius audio piece Ja Ja Ja Nee Nee Nee that had me in giggles from the start

- the group of monochrome paintings' Uno di voi, un tedesco in Firenze' above (that were more squeezed together and tight in their Berlin display) 

- an incredible Slaves to Tourism slide show installation with a punk soundtrack that recreated from an event Kippenberger did at Cafe Einstein, showing an American road trip he and his friend took, with the slide projectors balanced on a ladder.

The exhibition is on until August 18. 


Image credit: Martin Kippenberger: ""Uno di voi, un tedesco in Firenze", 1976-1977, Öl auf Leinwand, 56 Teile, 41 je 60 x 50 cm; 15 je 50 x 60 cm (Friedrich Christian Flick Collection im Hamburger Bahnhof/© Estate Martin Kippenberger, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne)