exhibition:

Bardot Proviant Klub

Media, misunderstanding and Greenland

16 Jan 2010

28 Feb 2010

Mediamatic Bank at Duintjer CS
Vijzelstraat 68 , 1017 HL Amsterdam
Mediamatic Foundation
+31206389901
http://www.mediamatic.net/

Greenland has a rich culture that is threatened to become extinct as a result of climate change. At least, that is the current perception outside of Greenland. But what do the Inuit think themselves? Where will Global Warming strike first? Who is more cruel to animals?

Photographer Anya van Lit and author Joost Bottema traveled through Greenland and documented their journey. Through photography, video, interviews and more, they tell us about the changing environment and traditions they discovered in Greenland. The Bardot exhibition will also present sewing workshops, cooking experiments, lectures about hypocrisy and performances symbolising the Greenlandic seal.

Opening 16 January 2010 at 20.00 hrs. Open daily from 13.00 hrs to 19.00 (and 18.00 hrs in the weekend). Become a member of the Bardot Proviant Klub at the door (3 euro) and you will receive the catalogue and a consumption.

Groenland IJsberg - Min tien graden in Groenland. De grootte van ijsbergen kun je pas een beetje bevatten met een ijkpunt. Foto van Anya van Lit bij Bardot Proviant Klub , tentoonstelling over media, misverstand en Groenland, bij Mediamatic van 15 januari 2010 t/m 28 februari 2010. Neem voor highres beelden contact op met pers [at] mediamatic.net Anya van Lit

Anya van Lit, Joost Bottema, DUS architecten

The exhibition is not only about Greenland. It's also about how Europe deals with habits and traditions from other cultures and how we relate to these problems.

It seems that it is a foregone conclusion that eating seal should be prohibited. But seals are not more piteous than pigs, cows and chickens. In September 2009 the regulation 1007/2009 of the European Parliament was made: a ban against trade of products of seal. The regulation starts with:

Seals are sentient animals that can experience pain, distress, fear and other forms of suffering.

Mediamatic definitely doesn't deny that. But what about the millions of animals that are dying and are being 'processed' in the bio-industry of Europe every day? Greenlandic hunters select adult animals and kill them using guns. So no clubbing of little baby seals.

We can't plead ignorance, only indifference, thus Jonathan Safran Foer, author of the essay 'a modest proposal for tossing Fido in the oven' and the book 'Eating Animals' (2009).

Seal meat

The EU allows only members of official proviant clubs in Denmark to enjoy traditionally caught seal meat.

Warning: Bardot is not a real proviant klub. If you are interested, then you, like some of our colleagues, should become a member of a proviant klub in Århus, Aalborg, Odense or Copenhagen.

The following video is on view in the exhibition. In ‘Wash’ by Anya van Lit a Greenlander gives his opinion about Brigitte Bardot:

‘Wash’ by Anya van Lit on Vimeo.

Opening hours and membership

Bardot Proviant Klub is opened on January the 16th 2010 until February the 28th 2010 at Mediamatic BANK, Vijzelstraat 68 in Amsterdam. Opening hours Mon - Fri from 1pm - 7pm, and Sat + Sun from 1pm till 6pm.

Everyone can visit the exhibition. At the door you become a member of Bardot Proviant Klub (5 euros) and you will receive a catalogue (84 p. full colour)

Exhibition Team

Anne Baan Hofman, Joost Bottema, Martin Butler, Eline Ermens, Thomas van Lier, Anya van Lit, Lucy Luxton, Mhairi Macfarlane, Katja Novitskova, Jans Possel, Sara Rajaei, Liene Rubane, Willem Velthoven, Machiel Veltkamp, Marco Wessel