After reading
"The world is flat" we start considering:
We assumed that the art world’s development goes hand in hand with the growth of global market and new communication technologies. then we asked ourself again:
Is the world really flat?
An anachronistic question certainly, but are we all standing on the same level? Nowadays we can be very much connected to each other: emailing, calling for free, and traveling quicker and quicker; living in one country and working in another.
In 2007, we were proved as Grand tourist (Venice, Kassel, Basel, Munster, Lyon, Istambul), and then as businessmen in art markets and fairs. Can we be even more amused in 2008?
“Is the world flat?” draws our attention to artworks of a diverse range of media: painting, sculpture, photography and installations - that will enhance dialogues of contrasts and recognitions relating to the theme. The artists wonder if the world is really flattening and if we have the same opportunities, all of us.The exhibition offers us a space were we can question the current market affects on the criticality of contemporary art.
Fairytale 'Is the world flat?'
Is the world flat?
Everywhere on this world where animals live men will spread. They fly with aircrafts through the sky and with submarines in the oceans. They create roads straight through the mountains and put pipes and cables into the ground. On more and more riversides cities are built. Liquids are dumped into the waters that lead to the edge of the earth.
Suddenly the animals had enough of it, to move somewhere else every time, so the rabbit called an urgent meeting. All the animals came.The chimpanzee proposed to take the Fight for Power on, but his plan was denied because they didn't have any tanks or nuclear weapons. Then the owl said ‘we have to transfer ourselves into human beings. That’s the only wayto become as powerful as they are’.
Everybody agreed and a special delegation brought the message to God. God looked optimistic at the initiative and wanted to reward the newcomers with a micro credit.
It said 'tomorrow morning there will be a big pot of oil in the centre of the forest. Every animal that will wash itself in it, will become a human being'.
The animals jumped for joy and the wildest plans were discussed. 'When I am human', said the bear, 'than I will buy a red car with a sun rooftop and white chairs, very chic!'
‘Wait till I wear a business suit', said the rabbit, ‘all the women will look at me and whisper what a good-looking man!’.
The whole night the animals stayed up and told each other what they would do if they would be human. Some of them already had decided to start a company, because they knew where there was gold, silver and oil left in the earth, and in the human world one could make lots of money with it. The Jaguar was making phone-calls for his media campaign to become president.
All the rumour made God wake up, he listened for a while and wondered 'if they behave like this on forehand, how would they be when they are humans?' ... Suddenly from heaven a thunder roared and broke the pot with oil in a thousand pieces. Only the gorilla, orang-utan and the chimpanzee were there and during cleaning up the pieces they found the last drops of oil.
For inspiration, seen and edited from ‘Fairytales from Nigeria’ (Why monkeys look like humans), Ingrid Buthor-Girard, KIT Publishers, 2003Opening
