FWD: There must be an alternative

(for German please scroll down)


THERE MUST BE AN ALTERNATIVE

An exhibition curated by Oliver Ressler

Artists and groups of artists:
Bernadette Corporation (USA/F/D), bureau d'etudes (F), Etcetera
(Argentina), Aernout Mik (NL), Oliver Ressler (A), The Yes Men (USA)

Opening: October 8th, 2004, 9 pm

"There is no alternative." This statement was made by the former
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with regard to the economic
injustices of the 1980's. At the same time the politically wanted
processes of restructuring were continued favoring transnational
companies and the high finance. To describe globalized capitalism as a
sort of fateful factor to which there can be no alternative still is a
popular strategy of neoliberal ideologists.
During the last years the international so called
Anti-Globalization-Movement and various social forums managed to
publicly question the processes of capitalist rule. "There must be an
alternative." This opinion was voiced within some of these forums and
also forms the frame for the artistic contributions of this exhibition
in the Forum Stadtpark. The exhibition assembles artistic positions of
analysis and critique of existing (economic) systems and of resistance
against these systems and zooms in on basic approaches to possible
alternatives to capitalism.
By showing brokers restlessly staring and shocked by a crash in a room
at the stock-market Aernout Mik's video installation "Middlemen"
displays the insecurity which is structurally linked with a capitalist
society. The big posters by bureau d'etudes
(http://bureaudetudes.free.fr) represent the attempt to map the global
operating modes and power structures in capitalism. Etcetera show
cardboard figures designed as political actors from their series "Gente
Armada" previously used in performances in the streets of Buenos Aires.
The Yes Men personated representatives of the World Trade Organization
(www.gatt.org), the video "The Horribly Stupid Stunt" shows their
performance during a congress at the University of Salzburg. For the
Bernadette Corporation taking part in the G8-protests in Genoa 2001 was
the starting point for their video "Get Rid Of Yourself" which
critically questions representation and picks connections between
radical forms of protest and fashion/lifestyle out as a central theme.
In various short videos the work-in-progress project "Alternative
Economics, Alternative Societies" by Oliver Ressler (www.ressler.at)
focuses on different concepts and models for alternative economies and
societies the common ground of which is the rejection of the system of
capitalist rule.

Round table with participating artists: October 10th 2004, 11h

Duration of exhibition till November 28th 2004
Opening hours: Tue