SAVE THE DATE: 'Amikejo: Pennacchio Argentato', Laboratorio 987, MUSAC, León. Opening: Saturday 29 January
Mon, Dec 27 2010
Amikejo: Pennacchio/Argentato (29 January–27 March 2011)Amikejo: Iratxe Jaio & Klaas van Gorkum (9 April–12 June 2011)
Amikejo: Uqbar Foundation (25 June–11 September 2011)
Amikejo: Fermin Jiménez Landa & Lee Welch (24 September 2011–15 January 2012)
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Amikejo is a series of four exhibitions at the Laboratorio 987 of MUSAC that is structured around relational and spatial twinning. These artistic pairings involve various modes of binomial friendships – couples in life, dedicated duos, intermittent work partners, as well as new allies. The artist partnerships involve an overall 50–50 split of male and female practitioners, as well as Spanish-speaking and foreign origins.
The series encompasses a further register of doubling prompted by a critical reflection on the conditions and expectations of a ‘project space’ such as Laboratorio 987 within today’s contemporary art museum. Such a site is typically annexed from a hosting institution, independent yet attached, with the understanding that different, more ad-hoc and agile laws apply. Nonconformist and at the same time authorized, and following spatial theories such as Michel Foucault’s ‘heterotopia’, a project space is a typology that is neither here nor there.
Shadowing Robert Smithson’s concept of the ‘non-site’ (an indoor artwork physically and mentally paired with an outdoor site), the Laboratario 987 space has been assigned a relation with a specific remote location for the 2011 season: Amikejo.
Amikejo was an anomalous in-between state which never entirely existed, and was founded on a desire to foster more effective international communication through the synthetic language Esperanto. Following treaties of the early 19th Century, a tiny 3½ km2 wedge of land between the Netherlands, Belgium and Prussia was established as a neutral area because of an important zinc mine. In 1908 the 2,500 identity-less citizens of Neutral Moresnet, as it was known, declared it to be the world’s first Esperanto state: Amikejo (‘place of great friendship’ in Esperanto). A national anthem was constituted and stamps and a flag were designed. Yet in the wake of the first World War, Germany relinquished its claim to the disputed territory, and Amikejo-Moresnet disappeared from the map as it became part of Belgium, although border markers still exist to this day. This episode-place, between pragmatic and conceptual borders of cartography, language, nationhood, and subjectivity, is entreated as a twin site to Laboratorio 987 and lends its name and symbolic implications to the exhibition series.
For the first exhibition of the season, Neapolitan duo Pennacchio Argentato will present a new installation based on an exhibition's expectations of performance and interactivity. By transforming the Laboratorio 987 space into an absurd and abstracted gym, the duo will frame their own activity by addressing the ideas of leisure and overproduction.
Marisa Argentato (born Naples, Italy, 1977) & Pasquale Pennacchio (born in Caserta, Italy, 1979). Live and work in Naples and Berlin. Solo exhibitions include: 'Five o’clock shadows', T293, Rome; 'The New Boring', Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis (2010); 'Landings 4', Landings, Vestfossen, Norway (2010); 'Do It Just', Galerie Opdahl, Berlin (2009); 'Estate', T293, Naples (2007) and 'Blind Date', Viafarini, Milan (2002). Group exhibitions include 'SI - Sindrome Italiana', Magasin, Centre National d'Art Contemporain de Grenoble, Grenoble (2010); 'Dude, where's my Career?', MMK Zollamt / Portikus, Frankfurt (2009); 'A long time ago, last night', Gallery Kortil, Rijeka, Croatia (2008); Aspen Project (Part III), Neue Alte Brücke, Frankfurt am Main (2007); 'Cinema infinito / Neverending Cinema', Galleria Civica d’Arte Contemporanea, Trento (2006).
Iratxe Jaio (born Markina-Xemein, Basque Country, 1976) & Klaas van Gorkum (born Delft, the Netherlands, 1975). Live and work in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Solo projects include 'Quédense dentro y cierren las ventanas/ Stay inside. Close windows and doors', produced by consonni, Bilbao, and the municipality of Utrecht (2008); 'Let me hold your hand', Centre for Visual Introspection, Bucharest (2008) and 'Meanwhile, in the living room...', Centro Cultural Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz. Group exhibitions include 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated', TENT Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam (2010); 'Gure Artea 2008', Sala Rekalde, Bilbao (2008); 'Wij waren in Overvecht / We were in Overvecht', Centraal Museum, Utrecht (2008) and 'Radiodays', De Appel, Amsterdam (2005).
Uqbar Foundation [Mariana Castillo Deball (born 1975, Mexico City, Mexico) & Irene Kopelman (born 1976, Córdoba, Argentina)]. Live and work in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Uqbar Foundation projects include 'Zeno Reminder', Cabinet Magazine Space / Performa 09, New York (2009); 'Principle of Hope', Manifesta 7, Rovereto, Italy (2008); 'Transacciones Filosóficas', Museo Astronómico de Córdoba, Argentina (2007); 'Blackmarket for Useful Knowledge and Non-Knowledge', 10th International Istanbul Biennial (2007); 'A for Alibi', Utrecht University Museum, Utrecht & De Appel, Amsterdam (2006–8).
Fermín Jiménez Landa (born Pamplona, Spain, 1979. Lives in Valencia, Spain) & Lee Welch (born Louisville, USA, 1975. Lives in Rotterdam, the Netherlands). Jiménez Landa's solo exhibitions include 'No muy a menudo, ni muy poco', Galería Valle Ortí, Valencia (2010); 'Actos oficiales', Sala Montcada, Caixaforum, Barcelona (2008). Group shows include 'Welcome Home', Galería Moisés Pérez de Albéniz, Pamplona (2010); 'Kairós: Moments de Claredat', Sala Muncunill, Terrassa, Spain (2009); 'Nostalgia del futuro', Centro del Carmen, Valencia; 'Creación Injuve 09', Cículo de Bellas Artes, Madrid (2009); 'Entornos próximos', Artium, Vitoria-Gasteiz (2006).
Solo exhibitions by Lee Welch include 'At the still point of the turning world', Galway Arts Centre, Galway (2009); and 'Never Odd or Even and other pieces', The LAB, Dublin (2008). Group exhibitions include 'We have the final proof', Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest; Clifford Irving Show, Kadist Art Foundation, Paris (2009); work.in.space, Connaught House, Dublin (2009); 'It’s not for reading. It’s for making', FormContent, London (2009); 'Non-knowledge', Project Arts Centre, Dublin (2008); and 'Play', Draíocht Arts Centre, Dublin (2008).
Pennacchio Argentato, view of the exhibition 'Five o'clock shadows', T293 Rome. Courtesy of the artist and T293, Naples.
Amikejo: Pennacchio/Argentato (29 Enero–27 Marzo 2011)
Amikejo: Iratxe Jaio & Klaas van Gorkum (9 Abril–12 Junio 2011)
Amikejo: Uqbar Foundation (25 Junio–11 Septiembre 2011)
Amikejo: Fermin Jiménez Landa & Lee Welch (24 Septiembre 2011–15 Enero 2012)
Amikejo es una serie de cuatro exposiciones en el Laboratorio 987 del MUSAC estructurada entorno al hermanamiento relacional y espacial. Estas parejas artísticas implican distintos modos de amistades binomiales - parejas de vida, dedicados dúos, socios intermitentes y nuevos aliados. Las colaboraciones se dividen en un 50% de profesionales masculinos y un 50% femeninos, así como una mezcla equitativa de orígenes de hispanos y extranjeros.
La serie incluye además un registro adicional de desdoblamiento a raíz de una reflexión crítica sobre las condiciones y expectativas que genera un espacio museístico destinado a proyectos como es el Laboratorio 987. Este lugar normalmente figura como anexo de la institución anfitriona, independiente y al mismo tiempo adjunto, con el entendimiento de que leyes diferentes o ritmos más ágiles son aplicables. Partiendo de las teorías acerca de la ‘heterotopia’ de Foucault, este ‘project space’ no es ni aquí ni allí. Siguiendo la teoría del ‘non-site’ (una obra de arte está vinculada física y mentalmente con un sitio al aire libre) de Robert Smithson, se planteará una relación del Laboratorio 987 con una ubicación remota y al mismo tiempo específica: Amikejo.
Amikejo (‘lugar de gran amistad’ en Esperanto) fue un anómalo estado que nunca existió del todo, fundado con el deseo de fomentar una comunicación internacional más eficaz a través de un idioma sintético, el Esperanto. A raíz de los tratados de principios del siglo XIX, una pequeña cuña de 3,5 km2 de terreno entre los Países Bajos, Bélgica y Prusia se fundó como Moresnet Neutral gracias a los intereses que surgieron entorno a una importante mina de cinc. En 1908 sus 2,500 ciudadanos apátridas, se autodeclararon como el primer estado Esperanto: Amikejo. Se creó un himno nacional y se diseñaron sellos y una bandera. Sin embargo, a raíz de la primera guerra mundial, Alemania renunció a su derecho al territorio en disputa y Moresnet Neutro/Amikejo, desapareció del mapa y se convirtió en parte de Bélgica, aunque los límites de su frontera todavía existen hoy en día. Este episodio, entre las fronteras de lo pragmático y lo conceptual de la cartografía, del idioma, la nacionalidad y la subjetividad, se convertirá en un sitio hermanado al Laboratorio 987 y prestará su nombre y las implicaciones simbólicas a la temporada de exposiciones del 2011 del MUSAC.
Marisa Argentato (Nápoles, Italia, 1977) & Pasquale Pennacchio (Caserta, Italia, 1979). Viven y trabajan en Nápoles y Berlin. Exposiciones individuales incluyen: 'Five o’clock shadows', T293, Rome; 'The New Boring', Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis (2010); 'Landings 4', Landings, Vestfossen, Norway (2010); 'Do It Just', Galerie Opdahl, Berlin (2009); 'Estate', T293, Naples (2007) and 'Blind Date', Viafarini, Milan (2002). Group exhibitions include 'SI - Sindrome Italiana', Magasin, Centre National d'Art Contemporain de Grenoble, Grenoble (2010); 'Dude, where's my Career?', MMK Zollamt / Portikus, Frankfurt (2009); 'A long time ago, last night', Gallery Kortil, Rijeka, Croatia (2008);Aspen Project (Part III), Neue Alte Brücke, Frankfurt am Main (2007); 'Cinema infinito / Neverending Cinema', Galleria Civica d’Arte Contemporanea, Trento (2006).
Iratxe Jaio (Markina-Xemein, País Basco, 1976) & Klaas van Gorkum (Delft, Holanda, 1975). Viven y trabajan en Róterdam, Holanda. Exposiciones individuales incluyen: 'Quédense dentro y cierren las ventanas/ Stay inside. Close windows and doors', produced by consonni, Bilbao, and the municipality of Utrecht (2008); 'Let me hold your hand', Centre for Visual Introspection, Bucharest (2008) and 'Meanwhile, in the living room...', Centro Cultural Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz. Group exhibitions include 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated', TENT Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam (2010); 'Gure Artea 2008', Sala Rekalde, Bilbao (2008); 'Wij waren in Overvecht / We were in Overvecht', Centraal Museum, Utrecht (2008) and 'Radiodays', De Appel, Amsterdam (2005).
Uqbar Foundation [Mariana Castillo Deball (1975, México DF, México) & Irene Kopelman (1976, Córdoba, Argentina)]. Viven y trabajan en Amsterdam, Holanda.
Proyectos de Uqbar Foundation incluyen: 'Zeno Reminder', Cabinet Magazine Space / Performa 09, New York (2009);'Principle of Hope', Manifesta 7, Rovereto, Italy (2008); 'Transacciones Filosóficas', Museo Astronómico de Córdoba, Argentina (2007); 'Blackmarket for Useful Knowledge and Non-Knowledge', 10th International Istanbul Biennial (2007); 'A for Alibi', Utrecht University Museum, Utrecht & De Appel, Amsterdam (2006–8).
Fermín Jiménez Landa (Pamplona, 1979. Vive en Valencia) & Lee Welch (Louisville, Estados Unidos, 1975. Vive en Róterdam, Holanda). Exposiciones individuales de Jiménez Landa incluyen: 'No muy a menudo, ni muy poco', Galería Valle Ortí, Valencia (2010); 'Actos oficiales', Sala Montcada, Caixaforum, Barcelona (2008). Exposiciones colectivas incluyen: 'Welcome Home', Galería Moisés Pérez de Albéniz, Pamplona (2010); 'Kairós: Moments de Claredat', Sala Muncunill, Terrassa, Spain (2009); 'Nostalgia del futuro', Centro del Carmen, Valencia; 'Creación Injuve 09', Cículo de Bellas Artes, Madrid (2009); 'Entornos próximos', Artium, Vitoria-Gasteiz (2006).
Exposiciones individuales de Lee Welch incluyen: 'At the still point of the turning world', Galway Arts Centre, Galway (2009); y 'Never Odd or Even and other pieces', The LAB, Dublin (2008). Exposiciones colectivas incluyen: 'We have the final proof', Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest; Clifford Irving Show, Kadist Art Foundation, Paris (2009); work.in.space, Connaught House, Dublin (2009); 'It’s not for reading. It’s for making', FormContent, Londres (2009); 'Non-knowledge', Project Arts Centre, Dublin (2008); and 'Play', Draíocht Arts Centre, Dublin (2008).
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