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Christine De La Garenne / Via Lewandowsky
(Foto: Wang Wei) |
The project NEOBIOTA by Christine de la Garenne and Via Lewandowsky is an attempt to get acquainted with a foreign culture which is currently in a dramatic state of transformation. In biology, neobiota are foreign organisms which invade a geographical area because of direct or indirect human activity. Not only does the environment change with their arrival, but also the newcomers have to adapt and change to fit into their new environment.
The same principle holds for urban transformation processes in metropolitan cities like Peking. Often the environment changes so quickly that the inhabitants sometimes feel like strangers in their own home. On the other hand, the ideas of Western culture also change as turbo-capitalism and state communism form new symbioses.
Christine de la Garenne and Via Lewandowsky are examining the day-to-day life of Peking through the eyes of foreigners. During their 120-day stay, they have documented 120 everyday objects and situations. These represent a snapshot of social transformation while providing evidence of the artists' process of adaptation to a foreign culture.
At the beginning of their visit, they were more focused on particular details. On their first excursions through the city, they were on the look-out for conspicuous differences which foreign visitors might immediately detect. One of the many things the artists discovered was a tiny spoon used as a key fob. After enquiring further into its function, they learned that the metal utensil was actually an ear cleaner. A remnant of a disappearing ear cleaning and massaging tradition in big cities.
Other rituals have also changed, such as the traditional form of Chinese massage. During their regular visits to the massage salon, Christine de la Garenne and Via Lewandowsky discovered that the traditional foot massages no longer serve solely a curative purpose by stimulating the reflex zones, but are rather enjoyed for their relaxing effect.
As the situations and objects change over time, we witness how our observations in all areas of daily life shift when staying in a foreign place for an extended period. The artists have visited a senior citizens' home, an orphanage and a brothel to look for cultural differences. To better evaluate their impressions and photos, they speak with inhabitants and interview experts on location. At the moment, they are looking into a highly-charged issue in which advanced technology and mythological speculation merge. Apparently there is an ongoing debate regarding "stolen clouds" - because of a water shortage, rockets are being used to seed clouds in order to generate rainfall in a certain region.
The artists will provide background information and describe the situations they experienced for each of the 120 photographs. Although the photos might appear familiar to Westerners on a superficial level, the photo captions may reveal a false interpretation on the part of the observer. On the other hand, the captions can also reveal the familiarity of what might seem foreign to us at first glance.
A publication will be presented at the opening of the exhibition at the Centre for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe in May 2006.
The same principle holds for urban transformation processes in metropolitan cities like Peking. Often the environment changes so quickly that the inhabitants sometimes feel like strangers in their own home. On the other hand, the ideas of Western culture also change as turbo-capitalism and state communism form new symbioses.
Christine de la Garenne and Via Lewandowsky are examining the day-to-day life of Peking through the eyes of foreigners. During their 120-day stay, they have documented 120 everyday objects and situations. These represent a snapshot of social transformation while providing evidence of the artists' process of adaptation to a foreign culture.
At the beginning of their visit, they were more focused on particular details. On their first excursions through the city, they were on the look-out for conspicuous differences which foreign visitors might immediately detect. One of the many things the artists discovered was a tiny spoon used as a key fob. After enquiring further into its function, they learned that the metal utensil was actually an ear cleaner. A remnant of a disappearing ear cleaning and massaging tradition in big cities.
Other rituals have also changed, such as the traditional form of Chinese massage. During their regular visits to the massage salon, Christine de la Garenne and Via Lewandowsky discovered that the traditional foot massages no longer serve solely a curative purpose by stimulating the reflex zones, but are rather enjoyed for their relaxing effect.
As the situations and objects change over time, we witness how our observations in all areas of daily life shift when staying in a foreign place for an extended period. The artists have visited a senior citizens' home, an orphanage and a brothel to look for cultural differences. To better evaluate their impressions and photos, they speak with inhabitants and interview experts on location. At the moment, they are looking into a highly-charged issue in which advanced technology and mythological speculation merge. Apparently there is an ongoing debate regarding "stolen clouds" - because of a water shortage, rockets are being used to seed clouds in order to generate rainfall in a certain region.
The artists will provide background information and describe the situations they experienced for each of the 120 photographs. Although the photos might appear familiar to Westerners on a superficial level, the photo captions may reveal a false interpretation on the part of the observer. On the other hand, the captions can also reveal the familiarity of what might seem foreign to us at first glance.
A publication will be presented at the opening of the exhibition at the Centre for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe in May 2006.
