SECESSION

EXHIBITION PROGRAM 2001

curated by Christine Bruckbauer
October 18 – November 11, 2001

christoph mayer chm.

WHY IS IT CALLED PARADISE

christoph mayer chm., why is it called paradise?, 2001, Foto: Simone Bader

In his artistic work, christoph mayer chm. sets off in search of differentiated forms of perception. Whereas his own body was the focal point of his perceptual investigations in the beginning, now the artist reacts to the socio-political developments in his surroundings. Due to his intensive exploration of neuroscience, elements and methods from this field also flow into his work. He is particularly interested in the physiology of perception in relation to the phenomenon of cognition. Starting from the medium of performance and dance, christoph mayer chm. experiments with an interactive project form. Viewers are invited to become part of the artistic process themselves and experience new forms of perception with their own bodies.

For his part in the exhibition series "The Experiment" in the Grafisches Kabinett, christoph mayer chm. has conceived a space/sound installation entitled "Why is it called paradise?" In reference to the terrorist attacks in the USA and the subsequent worldwide reactions and discussions, his work explores different notions of paradise and the question of the extent, to which these notions are influenced by culture, religion or prosperity.

A labyrinthine path of aluminum wire leads visitors through the darkened exhibition space. Text fragments and sound recordings are conveyed through headphones, taken from research in heterogeneous environments and attempting to grasp the situation emotionally. For his installation, christoph mayer chm. uses, among other things, a method that is also employed in psychoanalysis, that of the "Black Space". Through sensory deprivation, switching off the sense of vision, from which we derive nearly 80% of our conscious perception, an unusual possibility of perception is opened up to the recipients. The only reference points are what is heard and the wire line leading through the lightless room.

BIOGRAPHIES
christoph mayer chm., born 1975 in Linz, lives and works in Berlin.
since 1994 studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna (Michelangelo Pistoletto/Heimo Zobernig), since 1998 studies at the College of Arts, Berlin (Rebecca Horn). Projects and Performances (selected): "Stein-Bruch-Tanz", former quarry of the concentration camp Gusen (1998); "Kind", Galerie Schwarzenberg in Berlin (1999); "kann man seele sehen.", showcase underground station, Babenbergerstraße, Vienna, (2000); "Proxecto de Arte e Peregrination a Santiago de Compostela", Centro Galego de Arte Contemporanea, Santiago de Compostela (2000); "inside of ourselves outside of earth and sky", Sammlung Essl, Klosterneuburg (2000); "Tanz leerer Herzen oder leer gegen schnell", Kärntnerstraße, Vienna (2000); "a null b", parlor game, College of the Arts, Berlin (2001); participant in the Ethics Council of the Arts, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin (2001)

CHRISTINE BRUCKBAUER born 1969 in Steyr, lives and works in Vienna.
1996-2001 exhibition organization at the Secession, since 2001 freelance curator

PUBLICATION

DAS EXPERIMENT 7
christoph mayer chm.

6 pages
authors: Christine Bruckbauer, Matthias Herrmann, christoph mayer chm., Elisabeth von Samsonow

___________________

available in the shop

CHRISTOPHER WOOL LINDA BILDA

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
presse@secession.at