Anti-Collage (Anda Rottenberg)
2011 - Photography (Photography)
200 x 139 x 5 cm
Goshka Macuga
In this anti-collage, which comes from a series of 4, Macuga takes a photo she found in the archives of Zacheta National Gallery in Warsaw. The series was made on the occasion of her exhibition there in 2011. In 2000, Harald Szeemann curated an exhibition at Zacheta called ‘Beware of Exiting your Dreams: You May Find Yourself in Somebody Else’s.’ The exhibition provoked a violent response as a result of his inclusion of Maurizio Cattelan’s La nona ora , where the figure of the Pope is struck down by a meteor. The work was vandalized by an MP; Anda Rottenberg, the director of the museum received a stream of abusive letters, many of them anti-semitic. Rottenberg organized a series of shows that were regarded by right wing Poles as scandalous and eventually she was forced to leave her post in 2001. In Anti-Collage , Rottenberg, depicted at a ceremony celebrating the centenary of Zacheta at the Presidential Palace, has been silhouetted out of the image. The void represents not only a dark period of Polish cultural history but also reflects upon the way in which history is rewritten in fascistic societies, particularly in former Soviet-style countries where inconvenient memories are erased. Ironically of course she stands between two Polish flags. After destroying Cattelan’s work, the MP, Witold Tomczak, wrote to the Prime Minister not only demanding Rottenberg’s dismissal but also suggesting she should curate in Israel rather than in Poland. Macuga’s image is a timely reminder of cultural vandalism and censorship as well anti-semitism in Poland, alongside the work of Yael Bartana.
She works with archival materials she finds in libraries and museums. Her work often begins with the history of the sites in which she is working, researching the collections of the institutions she works with, the work of artists she is interested in. Sometimes she recreates works by other artists, blurring the boundaries between artist and curator. For example at the Kunsthalle Basel, she recreated a 1971 exhibition of sculptures by Robert Morris that took place at the Tate Gallery in London which was closed by Tate authorities after 4 days as a result of safety scares. Macuga’s recreation allowed the public to experience the danger as well as the avant-garde nature of that exhibition. Her Basel show also engaged with issues relating to Neocolonialism, the arms race and US militancy, bringing together photographs taken by Aby Warburg during his exploration of the Hopi tribe in Arizona in the mid 19th century, a video of her own journey on the footsteps of Warburg and snapshots taken by a Vietnam war veteran that Makuga acquired on the Internet. She juxtaposed these with images of contemporary events relating to Afghanistan and Iraq and the economic crisis. More recently she brought a tapestry of Guernica that normally hangs at the United Nations in New York, to the Whitechapel Gallery in London and used it as a backdrop for public meetings. At documenta in Kassel, she exhibited a tapestry that brought together photographic images of the artists in documenta and a view of people in Kabul. Macuga’s work is engaged with political issues of her times. Goshka Macuga was born in 1967 in Warsaw (Poland). She lives and works in London (UK).
Colors:
Related works sharing similar palette
© » SOMETHING CURATED
Director Zeno Graton on ‘The Lost Boys,’ a Queer Love Story Eschewing Shame - Something Curated Share this: Facebook Twitter Tumblr Features Interviews Profiles Guides Jobs Interviews - 11 Dec 2023 - Share Born in Brussels and of Tunisian heritage, film director Zeno Graton presents his acclaimed feature debut, The Lost Boys ...
© » DAZED DIGITAL
The Lost Boys: a queer love story set inside a juvenile detention centre | Dazed â¬…ï¸ Left Arrow *ï¸âƒ£ Asterisk â Star Option Sliders âœ‰ï¸ Mail Exit Film & TV Feature We speak to Belgian filmmaker Zeno Graton about his debut feature film, ‘a real romantic drama’ which follows two young offenders 18 December 2023 Text Nick Chen “I was sick and tired of seeing queer Arab characters being only supporting characters,” says the Belgian filmmaker Zeno Graton...
© » ARTNEWS MARKET
New York’s Cheim & Read Gallery to Close After 26 Years – ARTnews.com Skip to main content By Maximilíano Durón Plus Icon Maximilíano Durón Senior Editor, ARTnews View All November 22, 2023 2:53pm An installation shot of several paintings from "The Americans," a 2023 exhibition by Cumwizard69420 at Cheim & Read in New York...
© » KADIST
Elad Lassry
2013In his composition, Chocolate Bars, Eggs, Milk, Lassry’s subjects are mirrored in their surroundings (both figuratively, through the chocolate colored backdrop and the brown frame; and literally, in the milky white, polished surface of the table), as the artist plays with color, shape, and the conventions of representational art both within and outside of the photographic tradition...
© » DAZED DIGITAL
Willy Chavarria’s ‘Safe From Harm’ show served fashion that made you feel Womenswear | Dazed â¬…ï¸ Left Arrow *ï¸âƒ£ Asterisk â Star Option Sliders âœ‰ï¸ Mail Exit Fashion News The designer just cemented his status as one of the most exciting talents taking New York right now, with a last supper style show and subversive new film 10 February 2024 Text Emma Elizabeth Davidson Photography Christina Fragkou Willy Chavarria AW24 25 For too long ‘quiet luxury’ has been at the forefront of fashion, with brands looking to boost sales with safe and deeply boring fashion like plain cashmere jumpers and timeless tailoring, and honestly: snore...
© » KADIST
Sahana Ramakrishnan
2019Sahana Ramakrishnan’s work blends cultural influences, spanning a range of visual mythologies, she weaves together a tapestry of pop cultural references that are upended by the artist’s exploration of identity, sexuality and gender perspectives...
© » KADIST
Mike Cooter
2006Forensic Poster was first realized in 2006 and reactivated in 2011; its making consisted of the artist visiting the London School of Criminology and corresponding with the interim director there in order to reproduce a poster by memory...
© » WALLPAPER*
Tour this House in High Park by Ian MacDonald | Wallpaper (Image credit: Tom Arban) By Ellen Himelfarb published 10 February 2024 With House in High Park, it's clear why Ian MacDonald has become Toronto’s architect of record for a certain homeowner blessed – whether they recognise it or not – with a tricky location...
© » KADIST
Aykan Safoglu
2013Off-White Tulips is an intimate, meditative, and tender essay-film composed as a fictional exchange between Black gay writer James Baldwin and the artist, Aykan Safoglu...
© » LENS CULTURE
I Feel Like a Fish - Photographs by Jaisingh Nageswaran | Essay by Marigold Warner | LensCulture Feature I Feel Like a Fish Combining new and archival images, Jaisingh Nageswaran creates a tender and poignant reflection on family history, his childhood memories, and caste-based discrimination in India...