FAIL BETTER
Moving Images
curated by Brigitte
Kölle
assistant: Jonas Beyer
Hamburger Kunsthalle
Glockengiesserwall -
Hamburg
28/2/2013 - 11/8/2013
The American sociologist Richard
Sennett once described failure as the great modern taboo. Success, career
advancement, performance and profit maximisation are increasingly important in
today's society, leaving little room for failure, defeat, loss, disenchantment
or disillusionment. But is failure only a matter of being defeated, reaching the
end of the line? Or can an apparent failure not also lead to something else –
something new, different or unexpected? Within the realm of art, failure has
always been closely linked to the creative process. "Try again / fail again /
fail better" is how Samuel Beckett described it.
The Irish writer made
repeated and lengthy visits to the Hamburger Kunsthalle when he visited Germany
around 75 years ago; now, in line with his maxim, the Kunsthalle is mounting an
exhibition of moving images – video installations and films from the 60ies till
today – which explore failure from many different angles and present playful,
passionate, tragic, amusing, mournful and surprising approaches to the concept
of 'failing to succeed'.
Participating artists:
Marina Abramović,
Vito Acconci, Bas Jan Ader, Francis Alÿs, John Baldessari, Guy Ben-Ner, Tacita
Dean, Rineke Dijkstra, Tracey Emin, Jeanne Faust, Fischli & Weiss, Ceal
Floyer, Annika Kahrs, Steve McQueen, Bruce Nauman, Christoph Schlingensief,
Gillian Wearing.
Image: Bas Jan Ader (1942 – 1975), Fall 2, Amsterdam
1970 (Dokumentation), 16 mm Filmproduktion, schwarz-weiß, ohne Ton © Mary Sue
Ader-Andersen / Bas Jan Ader Estate at the Patrick Painter Gallery
