Artist: Frieder Haller
Exhibition title: Von der Unmöglichkeit einer schönen Küche
Curated by: Tobias Peper
Venue: Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof, Hamburg, Germany
Date: April 22 – August 6, 2023
Photography: Fred Dott / all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof
EN Frieder Haller’s first institutional solo exhibition is simultaneously the premiere of 24/7 ist kein Leben, the final part of the film trilogy Good Times, Bad Timing, which will be shown in its entirety for the first time. 24/7 ist kein Leben, as well as previous parts Architecture (2019) and SCUM SCAM SCUM (2021), are comedy-drama chamber plays that deconstruct normative relationship structures and dynamics. Haller’s works are balancing acts between the comic, the grotesque, and the tragic. His films show the schemas and logics within social microcosms through which existing power relations are cemented. Linear narrative forms are repeatedly sabotaged by surreal moments that introduce elements of humor and instability into the films. Haller’s characters oscillate between pitiable and despicable. They speak in song lyrics, film quotes, and quotes from Haller’s own surroundings, which evoke both familiarity and alienation. They are imbued with boredom, emotional coldness, decadence, and a desire for distinction, yet they strive for love and intimacy. The exhibition is conceived as a scenic installation, complemented by collaborations with Simon Mielke and Alison Yip.
The exhibition is kindly supported by Hamburgische Kulturstiftung and K.S. Fischer-Stiftung. The program of the Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof is made possible by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and Liebelt-Stiftung, Hamburg.
