HAMBURG
Leek Phone ™* presents:
Contemporary Art Fair / Colonial Exhibition
Curted by Andrew Gilbert
Anne Döhr (1991, Germany)
Andrew Gilbert (1980, Scotland)
Dan Halter (1977, Zimbabwe)
Mairen Hernandez (1993, Venezuala)
Simin Jalilian (1989, Iran)
Donna Kukama (1981, South Africa)
Jarmila Mitríková & Dávid Demjanovič
(1985 /1986, Slovakia)
Umar Rashid (1976, US)
Location:
Halle 3
Tor 6 – 11
Stockmeyerstraße 41– 43
20457 Hamburg
Curated by Andrew Gilbert, the group exhibition Leek Phone ™* presents: Contemporary Art Fair / Colonial Exhibition features eight contemporary artists exploring the themes of colonialism, the control of historical narratives, and the relationship between pop culture and imperialism, resistance and corruption, and a European primitivism. The exhibition in the form of a fictitious art fair takes place in a warehouse at the Oberhafen, not far from the Kontorhaus neighbourhood with its Africa House and former colonial goods shops and in the middle of the Port of Hamburg, the transhipment point par excellence for exotic goods. In the centre of the hall is an installation of a fair scaffolding, at whose stands the works of each artist are shown. In addition, the exhibition recalls the format of colonial exhibitions of the 19th century and early 20th century, in which the so-called „primitives“ were presented for the entertainment of Europeans. Commerce and slavery in relation to the contemporary art world are thematised through the form of presentation.
Umar Rashid rewrites colonial history with his paintings, sculptures and installations. Materials such as graphite, tea and coffee create a historical impression. Anne Döhr builds an island on which cannibals and women live to trace missionary mentalities, while Simin Jalilian’s paintings showcase the machismo of Iran’s political upper class. Dan Halter uses everyday materials to question imperialist machinations on the African continent. Jarmila Mitríková & Dávid Demjanovič mainly use the folk technique of fire painting on wood, which was popular during socialism in the former Czechoslovakia. Mairen Hernandez shows works on paper that explore corruption, tourism and violence in Venezuela. Donna Kukuma uses performance, video, sound and texts to investigate in an interdisciplinary way, how history is told and value systems are constructed. Last but not least, Andrew Gilbert also shows drawings and dedicates himself to the furnishing of the art fair.
*Leek Phone ™ is an imaginary telephone company that parodies the contemporary worship of mobile phones. A „leek phone“ is a primitive mobile phone to which a leek plant is attached by means of string and nails.
