ALICE CREISCHER

EXHIBITION PROGRAM 2001

"The Greatest Happiness Principle Party"
Galerie
5 July - 2 September 2001

 


Alice Creischer, Time Personnel "Fire" and "Manpower", 2001


Alice Creischer´s work can hardly be defined on the basis of an ascribed role, because the artist works in different group contexts that are variously composed or realizes her own exhibitions, but also writes for art journals such as "Texte zur Kunst" and "springerin".
The central theme of her artistic and theoretical work is revealing processes and machinations in politics and business and their culture. For this, Creischer usually selects a real historical reference point and embeds this in a new and freely chosen narrative.



Alice Creischer, The Greatest Happiness Principle Party, 2001


Alice Creischer shows "The Greatest Happiness Principle Party" in the Galerie, a scene frozen into an exhibition.
The party plays at the Secession - which was previously well known for its artists' parties - during an era, in which many institutions turn their only supposedly, but still asserted autonomous space over to companies or parties and even summit meetings as a venue. Yet time has been turned back here to the year 1931: the bank Austrian Credit Institute is using the rooms of the Secession for a party. It is a party without major conflicts or unusual occurrences. One learns, however, that the bank, which was one of the most important international points of transfer involved in speculation in the Balkans, is on the brink of bankruptcy. In 1931 this bankruptcy triggered the second major world economic crisis.



Alice Creischer, The Greatest Happiness Principle Party, 2001


On the occasion of this party, the first guests have already assembled; some seem to be lost in talking to themselves - this is evident in the various arrangements and formulas, which are due to the utilitarian calculations of bliss of a society as a 'Fabric of Felicity', as outlined by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Costumed as a wizard, Bentham himself is one of the central persons of the ensemble.



Alice Creischer, The Greatest Happiness Principle Party, 2001


The space at the back of the installation has been rearranged as a cloakroom. The cloakroom scene of this space counterpoints the party, as the personnel instigates a 'militant investigation' into the fall of the Credit Institute and its consequences. One of the consequences of this bankruptcy are the European strategies of German capital, the finance and development technology of which served as a model for setting up and founding the International Currency Fund (Internationaler Währungsfond - IWF). In the topical reference to European south-eastern Europe policies, the rationalization terror of the Enlightenment is intertwined with the terror of transforming existence into value as spread by the expansions of the market economy apparatuses of power.



Alice Creischer, The Greatest Happiness Principle Party, 2001


In total,"The Greatest Happiness Principle Party" shows seven life-sized wooden silhouettes clothed in various costumes, as well as textiles, drawings and a video work.
 

PUBLICATION
The catalogue on the exhibition includes an interview with Alice Creischer by Helmut Draxler and the play "The Greatest Happiness Principle Party" put together by Alice Creischer.

ALICE CREISCHER The Greatest Happiness Principle Party 32 pages, 6 colored illustrations, 4 b/w illustrations Texts and Interview: Alice Creischer, Helmut Draxler Matthias Herrmann, Andreas Siekmann Secession 2001, ISBN 3-901926-35-6    ___________________ Available in the shop

BIOGRAPHY
Alice Creischer, born 1960, lives and works in Berlin.
Exhibitions and projects (selected): (2000) "Dinge, die wir nicht verstehen", Generali Foundation, Vienna; "Gouvernementalität", Alte Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover; "Sidewalks", Künstlerhaus Bremen; (1999) "How is Your Work Going", Galerie Christian Nagel, Köln; (1998) "Supermarkt", Shedhalle, Zürich, "Mach doch heute Lobby", Kunstbüro Wien. Alice Creischer has been working since the early 90's in various group contexts, since 1994 she has published texts in periodicals such as "springerin", "Texte zur Kunst" and "ANYP".

 
 

HANS WEIGAND    DAS EXPERIMENT 6

EXHIBITION PROGRAM 2001

 
For further information and photographic material please contact:
 
Urte Schmitt-Ulms
Secession, Association of Visual Artists Vienna Secession
Friedrichstraße 12, 1010 Vienna
Tel: +43-1-5875307-21, Fax: +43-1-5875307-34
exhibition@secession.at