Landscape 2.0

Exhibition

Our view of landscape and its "nature" has changed over the course of history. By examining landscape designs, we can learn about the attitudes of a certain society at a certain time in terms of how it developed and shaped nature. In the Romantic period, landscapes came to symbolize the human psychological condition. Today we must ask ourselves how significant landscapes are today when they are depicted as a social and cultural construct and are primarily regarded as an economic or ecological resource. Is it even possible to think of landscape as intact and unspoiled nature? How do we imagine real, natural landscape, and how is landscape portrayed in digital fantasy worlds?
This exhibition took a contemporary approach to the landscape theme. Against a backdrop of historic ideas, it presented current landscape concepts and their impact on economic, environmental and socio-political decision-making. International artists created a number of new works for the exhibition, as well as outdoor, site-specific works. While some examined the historic developments and their effects on the structures and uses of landscapes today, others developed utopian ideas and concepts for sustainable landscape planning in the future, or created digital spaces of experience and model worlds.
The exhibition was accompanied by an extensive educational and media-pedagogical programme, lectures, film presentations and workshops.

Curators: Sabine Himmelsbach and Bettina von Dziembowski
Participating artists: Vaughn Bell (USA), Ulu Braun, Büro für Unabwägbarkeiten, Susan Collins (GB), Ursula Damm, Wapke Feenstra (NL), Masaki Fujihata (J), Beate Gütschow, David Hahlbrock, Janice Kerbel (GB), Jane Prophet (GB), Rachel Reupke (GB), Thiago Rocha Pitta (BR), Teri Rueb (USA), Katrin Sigurdardottir (IS), Brett Stalbaum / Cicero DaSilva / walkingtools.net, Monika Studer und Christoph van den Berg (CH), Thomson & Craighead (GB)s

Venues and schedule:
Edith Russ Site for Media Art, Oldenburg and Springhornhof Neuenkirchen Art Association: 29 Aug. - 15 Nov. 2009, Vernissage: 28. Aug. 2009

Contact

Edith-Ruß-Haus für Medienkunst

Katharinenstraße 23

26121 Oldenburg

www.edith-russ-haus.de (external link, opens in a new window)