Under the Influence

This exhibition presented artistic positions based on the theme of intoxication. How has the consumption of mind-altering substances changed over the years and what does this say about our society? The artworks and extensive exhibition programme focused on the use of so-called popular drugs such as alcohol and nicotine and addressed the social sanctions imposed against psychedelic and performance-enhancing drugs. The predominantly contemporary artistic positions reflected on the motif of longing for a different reality and related this to various societal situations over the course of time. A video work by Oliver Pietsch, for example, examined drug consumption in the film industry, starting with the cigarette hanging casually from the hand of a film star.

Curator: Susanne Weiß
Artists: Ulf Aminde (DE), Jan Bünnig (DE), Lysann Buschbeck (DE), Jeremy Deller (UK), Jessica Dimmock (US), Esra Ersen (TR), Antje Majewski (DE), Tracey Moffat (AU/US), Stefan Müller (D), Oliver Pietsch (DE), Uri Radovan (IL), Ramin Raissi (DE), Ashkan Sahihi (DE/US), Herbert Volkmann (DE), Tobias Zielony (DE)

Venues and schedule:
2 August - 12 October 2008 Kunsthaus Dresden, Städtische Galerie für Gegenwartskunst, Dresden