The exhibition Reception of Reception, curated by Sebastian Peter, invites the viewers to critically reflect upon today’s experience of the arts, prompting them to break free from die-hard habits. It encourages a continuous requestioning of the common approach to art: How do we look at art today? What influences our way of dealing with art? What is my relation to art? What can I get out of contemporary art?

Especially in art capitals such as New York, London and Berlin, spectacular exhibitions open on a daily basis. The grand museums never before experienced such an immense afflux, their entrances blocked almost daily by endless queues of visitors. Nonetheless one could – in light of the marketization of the museum business, mass tourism, event hypes, the flood of digital images and selfie culture – pose the question of how attentively art is and can be looked at.

The title Reception of Reception refers both to the reception of the artist’s work through the viewer as well as to the artist’s dealing with the viewer’s reception in his or her work. Most of the exhibits shown are autonomous works of art, even though their reference to reality allows them to also function as documents of contemporary art reception.

In effect, the reception of art – itself the subject in this context – also represents a point of origin for further reactions. The prerogative of interpretation implemented by institutions through text and presentation is critically questioned.

Reception of Reception invites viewers to pause for a moment, to exchange impressions and ultimately realize the awareness-creating potential of contemporary art.

Artists Names: BANK, Benjamin der Burca & Barbara Wagner, Patrice Peck, Dan Perjovschi, Falke Pisano, Jonathan VanDyke

Winter break: 24.12.2014 - 03.01.2015

Finissage: January 29, 2015 at 19.00h