INKY TOY AFFINITAS

The group show INKY TOY AFFINITAS will feature works on paper by thirty-one artists from Berlin, Hamburg, London, and Paris. Curator Anna-Catharina Gebbers has invited thirteen artists from these cities to participate with their own works and by inviting artists themselves. This exhibition presents, on one hand, the disparate possibilities of paper works as a playful sketch, as mnemonic, as conceptual work, and moreover as an evidence of intentional perception. On the other hand, the artists will show both their own works as well as that of artists to whom they extended the invitation. These relationships spin a web of intellectual affinities, one that broadens the visual preferences beyond their origins.

This exhibition presents, on one hand, the disparate possibilities of paper works as a playful sketch, as mnemonic, as conceptual work, and moreover as an evidence of intentional perception. On the other hand, the artists will show both their own works as well as that of artists to whom they extended the invitation. These relationships spin a web of intellectual affinities, one which broadens the visual preferences beyond their origins.

Kant first mentions "affinitas" (affinity) in connection with chemical processes in his Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View (1798). The influence of chemistry on the formulation of thoughts during Kant's later lifetime -- the so called Chemical Age, as Friedrich Schlegel deemed it -- is as well attested to in Goethe's novel Elective Affinities (1809). Chemical reactions were understood to be a template of analog psychological and intellectual processes. Still today in chemistry the term "affinity" describes a "process of confederation" wherein specific heterogeneous substances, chemical species, or atoms of unlike composition, combine to create new chemical compounds.

The concentration upon artists from four European cities reflects a range of preferences on the part of the curator that delimits the number of potential affinities and associations. Some of the artists could not or did not want to name any “affinities,” while others invited several colleagues to contribute. Most of the works have been produced especially for this exhibition. Two of the artists seem to look for affinities also in Philadelphia: Dorota Jurczak's billboard, which is a homage to Duchamp's "Wanted" will be spread all over the city of Philadelphia. Andreas Slominski, who is known for works which announce him as a trickster and points to the ludic element which runs through his projects, will present two sheets of paper: one with signatures of seven 18-year old girls from Philadelphia, the other one with signatures of seven 18 year old boys from Philadelphia. Both artists' works contain performative, interactive elements and can be read as a comment on the art world. In the end this playful dance--triggered by the concept of the show--represents an elected perception and mutual appreciation.

Anna-Catharina Gebbers is an internationally-active curator and writer from Berlin (Germany). Among others she curated shows for the 3rd Triennial of Photography Hamburg, for the 4th Berlin Biennial, and initiated the exhibition and performance art project The Three Cities: Berlin, Milan, London. She writes catalogue texts for artists like Thomas Scheibitz and Thomas Schutte, and publishes in magazines as Artist and Frieze. In Berlin she organises exhibitions, performances and lectures at her workspace BIBLIOTHEKSWOHNUNG, www.acgebbers.com

Markus Amm (London) Helene Appel (London) Nicole Bianchet (Berlin) Ulla von Brandenburg (Paris) Damien Deroubaix (Berlin/Paris) Lucile Desamory (Berlin) Marte Eknaes (London) Claire Fontaine (Paris) Aurélien Froment (Paris) David Gaus (Paris) Ellen Gronemeyer (London) Alexander Heim (London) Sophie von Hellermann (London) Uwe Henneken(Berlin) Julia Horstmann (Berlin) Volker Hueller (Hamburg) Bethan Huws (Paris) Lisa Junghanß (Berlin) Dorota Jurczak (Hamburg) Janice Kerbel (London) Armin Kramer (Hamburg) Rene Luck (Berlin) Isa Melsheimer (Berlin) Laurent Montaron (Paris) Thomas Ravens (Berlin) Norbert Schwontkowski (Bremen/Berlin/Hamburg) Andreas Slominski (Berlin/Hamburg) Isabell Spengler (Berlin) Katja Strunz (Berlin) Alex Tennigkeit (Berlin) Emily Wardill (London)

INKY TOY AFFINITAS
Kuratiert von Anna-Catharina Gebbers
Cerealart Project Room

mit Markus Amm, Helene Appel, Nicole Bianchet, Ulla von Brandenburg, Damien Deroubaix, Lucile Desamory, Marte Eknaes, CLAIRE FONTAINE , Aurelien Froment, David Gaus, Ellen Gronemeyer, Alexander Heim, Sophie von Hellermann, Uwe Henneken, Julia Horstmann, Volker Hueller, Bethan Huws, Lisa Junghanss, Dorota Jurczak, Janice Kerbel, Armin Krämer, Rene Luck, Isa Melsheimer, Laurent Montaron, Thomas Ravens, Norbert Schwontkowski, Andreas Slominski, Isabell Spengler, Katja Strunz, Alex Tennigkeit, Emily Wardill