But there is hope. All left over tickets will be sold, 15 minutes before the afternoon starts. When in the summer of 2006 Witte de With’s director Nicolaus Schafhausen was appointed as curator for the German contribution to the 52nd Venice Biennale, he chose to show Isa Genzken (b. 1948, Bad Oldesloe, Germany) to represent Germany. Schafhausen explained this choice by stating that “Genzken is one of the most uncompromising artists of today”, pinpointing current times like almost no other contemporary artist. Furthermore, he said that for Genzken, life and existence are just as complex as art itself. Her creative work stands in contradiction to a one-trick-pony society and culture, which searches for happiness in simple answers. For more than thirty years, Genzken has created a diverse oeuvre that spans sculpture, installation, photography, collage and film, a practice that continues to move and develop while meeting new challenges. This is why she remains such an important influence to so many international artists of subsequent generations.
With the Isa Genzken Special Witte de With hosts an occasion to discuss and explore Genzken’s work in depth. Presenting many aspects of her practice, this event brings together a select group of international guests, all of whom are inextricably linked to Genzken’s life and career. They will contribute to an afternoon of panel discussions, presentations and lectures.
Program
4:00 p.m. Welcome by Nicolaus Schafhausen
Introduction by Sophie von Olfers
4:30 p.m. Lecture by Alex Farquharson, Isa Genzken: World Receiver
5:00 p.m. Isa Genzken in conversation with Rem Koolhaas and Nicolaus Schafhausen
6:00 p.m. Break
6:30 p.m. Lecture by Juliane Rebentisch, The dialectics of beauty
7:15 p.m. Paneldiscussion with Kasper König, Karel Schampers and Susanne Gaensheimer. Chaired by Vanessa Joan Müller
8:00 p.m. Drinks
About the participants:
Alex Farquharson is a critic and curator based in London
Susanne Gaensheimer is curator at the Lenbachhaus, Munich
Kasper König is the director of the Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Rem Koolhaas is an architect based in Rotterdam. Vanessa Joan Müller is the artistic director of the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf. Sophie von Olfers is assistant curator at Witte de With and coordinates the German pavilion. Juliane Rebentisch is a philosopher based in Berlin. Nicolaus Schafhausen is the director of Witte de With and curator of the German pavilion. Karel Schampers is the director of the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem