11 Sep 2013

Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam: Spaces of Exception / Чрезвычайные и Полномочные

Participating artists:
Yuri Albert, Ivan Brazkin, Chto Delat, Yevgeniy Fiks, Nikita Kadan/Alexander Burlaka, Gulnara Kasmalieva/Muratbek Djumaliev, Gert Jan Kocken, Irina Korina, Jiri Kovanda, Maryanto, Taus Makhacheva, Renzo Martens, Metahaven, Aernout Mik, Marina Naprushkina, Nikolay Oleynikov, Anna Parkina, Dmitry Prigov, Tima Radya, Willem de Rooij, Haim Sokol, Jonas Staal, Roy Villevoye, Carey Young, Katarina Zdjelar.

Choreographer: Anna Abalikhina
Exhibition architect: Maria Kalinina
Curated by Elena Sorokina & Jelle Bouwhuis


Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam presents the exhibition Spaces of Exception / Чрезвычайные и Полномочные in Moscow. The title of the exhibition refers to the state of economic emergency progressively becoming a new rule and a new norm today. The growing conflict between rights and markets, peaking with the current crisis, affects democracies or would-be democracies as their merits and values are constantly tested and questioned, or even intentionally ignored. The 25 artists in the exhibition construct their own 'exceptional' spaces within the realm of art for political maneuvering and blunt or subtle commentary. Sometimes the artists act as 'legislators' inventing their own rules of engagement for specific social, political or economic problems.
The exhibition is part of the Dutch-Russian Year program, and a special project for the Moscow Biennial 2013.

'Spaces of Exception' brings together both existing and newly conceived works. The oldest piece in the exhibition is the Book of decrees (1977) by the legendary Russian conceptualist Dmitry Prigov (1940-2007). The book consists of only six pages, but each of them proudly enunciates a decree signed by 'D. Prigov, chairman'. Included are the following: the decree of the animal, decree of the air, decree of closeness, decree of unit, decree of black, and ultimately, the decree of decree. Prigov's decrees evoke an absurd revolutionary hero in times of stagnation, while the artist himself imitates and parodies the role of a legislator.

The exhibition 'Spaces of Exception' takes up the antiquated myth of the artist as legislator from today's point of view, when artists assume multiple identities as producer, researcher, worker, romantic entrepreneur, cognitive proletarian, critic of nationalist propaganda, etc. Like Prigov, they stage legal texts or cases, create alternative laws and legal systems, criticizing the current state of affairs.

'Spaces of Exception' is organized by Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (SMBA), The Netherlands. It is a Special Project of the Moscow Biennial 2013, held in the framework of The Netherlands/Russian Federation Year 2013.
'Spaces of Exception' has been made possible with support of the Mondrian Fund, The Netherlands.