From April 7 to July 17, 2021, the project ANGST, KEINE ANGST / FEAR, NO FEAR will present different artistic perspectives on contemporary fears and insecurities in three chapters at the Times Art Center Berlin. The curatorial team has invited artists across generations, from the 1960s to the 1990s, to present works in the media of sculpture, installation, video, performance, painting, and photography. Many of them have been dealing with the theme of fear and anxiety for a long time. The exhibition explores the broad spectrum of forms of fear that have emerged in different geographical and historical contexts and reflects on the current state of the world determined by collective fear and anxiety.
Angst, Keine Angst, Installation view at Times Art Center Berlin with three-man, Tam Waiping, Photo by Jens Ziehe, Berlin
Fear and anxiety form the basis of superstitions and ideologies and influence societies in very concrete ways. In 1768, a rumor about "Soulstealers"—beggars and monks who secretly absorb human souls—spread over twelve Chinese provinces with a population of more than 200 million people within a few months. A mass hysteria triggered by fear took many lives. Fears were instrumentalized during the witch hunts in medieval Europe, the persecution of "communists" in the McCarthy era in the USA or the nuclear competition between East and West during the Cold War. In the current world, living conditions and interpersonal relationships lack stability; ecological, social and cultural principles are proving to be highly fragile. In our globalized communities , can fear inspire us to a common response to future threats? Can it provide us with constructive means to interpret the unknown? Are we able to choose courage instead of fear and thus bring about a new beginning?
Huang Xiaopeng, Highway 168, 2019, Video, 30 min, Courtesy of the artist
Over a period of ten weeks, each chapter of the project ANGST, KEINE ANGST / FEAR, NO FEAR deals with a different perspective on these topics:
Chapter 1: Uncertainties – Walking on Unstable Grounds
April 7 – May 1, 2021
Nine Budde, Anne Gathmann, Anja Gerecke, Huang Xiaopeng, Klaas Hübner, Franziska Hünig, Friederike Klotz, Ulrike Kuschel, Li Juchuan, Li Xiangwei, Li Yifan, Ma Xinyu, Ma Yujiang, Antje Majewski & Vangjush Vellahu, Alice Musiol, Dirk Peuker & Bettina Nürnberg, Qin Jin, Stefan Rummel, Erwin Stache, Tam Waiping, Wei Yuan, Wu Sibo, Zhu Tao
Chapter 2: Panic – The Moment of Fear
May 12 – June 12, 2021
Iyad Dayoub, Abrie Fourie, Anne Gathmann, Ge Yulu, Anja Gerecke, Huang Xiaopeng, Franziska Hünig, Ange Kayifa, Friederike Klotz, Lei Lijie, Li Lulu, Li Yifan, Alice Musiol, Pınar Öğrenci, Stefan Rummel, RZhen, Erwin Stache, Vangjush Vellahu, Janin Walter, Xi Lei, Yang Xinjia
Chapter 3: Potentialities – Growing Out of Damaged Ground
June 25 – July 17, 2021
Thomas Adebahr, Hank Yan Agassi, Dorothee Albrecht, Chen Dandizi, Nina DeLudemann, Olivier Guesselé-Garai, Huang Xiaopeng, Mwangi Hutter, Yuko Kaseki, Ulrike Kuschel, Mikhail Lylov, Sajan Mani, Elke Marhöfer, Maternal Fantasies, Paulo Nazareth, Song Ta, Sun Haili, Wang Yinjie & Yao Chunchun, Wu Tiao Ren, Zhong Jialing
The first chapter of the exhibition will be set up for the scheduled opening on April 7, and will be open to the public as of then, subject to regulations in force.
Huang Xiaopeng's untimely death in October 2020 means a tragic loss not only for his family and friends, but also for his colleagues, his students and the art community, to which he has contributed enormously over the past decades. Since the beginning of last year, Huang has been working together with Dorothee Albrecht, Antje Majewski and Stefan Rummel on the project ANGST, KEINE ANGST / FEAR, NO FEAR. The participants decided to realize the exhibition in Huang's spirit and in memory of his life-long commitment to close artistic collaborations.
Angst, Keine Angst, Installation view at Times Art Center Berlin, Photo by Jens Ziehe, Berlin
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12–7 pm
Venue: Times Art Center Berlin
Address: Brunnenstr. 9, 10119 Berlin
To ensure a safe and healthy environment, visitors are kindly asked to book their visit in advance via www.timesartcenter.org/visit-us.
Courtesy of Times Art Center Berlin, for further information please visit www.timesartcenter.org or contact berlin@timesartcenter.org/+49 30 24781038
