Artists: Anna Sophie Berger, Liudvikas Buklys, Heinrich Dunst, Simon Dybbroe Møller, Christian Falsnaes, Benjamin Hirte, Barbara Kapusta, Stelios Karamanolis, Alexandra Kostakis, Adriana Lara, Lara Nasser, Rallou Panagiotou, Natasha Papadopoulou, Angelo Plessas, Maruša Sagadin, Hans Schabus, Björn Segschneider, Socratis Socratous, Misha Stroj, Stefania Strouza, Jannis Varelas, Kostis Velonis, Salvatore Viviano
Exhibition title: Instructions for Happiness
Curated by: Severin Dünser, Olympia Tzortzi
Venue: KUP, Athens, Greece
Date: December 20 – 30, 2016
Photography: Bill Georgoussis, all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and KUP, Athens
Happiness can be understood as a basic human need. And the exhibition is all about the personal pursuit for happiness. But instructions for happiness? As happiness is quite an individual matter, instructions for happiness are of course a pretty absurd promise. Regardless of whether happiness is sought after in the interpersonal, the immediate or the everyday respectively the beauty of the small things in life – the exhibition tries to question the notions of happiness.
Selected artists were invited to contribute a work, that also includes a manual: A work that – based on an instruction – invites to do something, for instance use an object, react to a situation, interact with others under certain rules, perform something for others or oneself or simply initiates a thought process. The form of the work (as well as the instruction) could take any possible shape – resulting in artworks that are as diverse and formally divergent as the technical possibilities. But the seemingly chaotic diversity also reflects a plurality of perspectives on happiness that the artist (as well as society) share.
Aside from the question of happiness in the context of today’s Athens, the exhibition also tries to reflect upon art’s possibilities of immediate effects on society. Thus the boarders of the power of the aesthetic field can be questioned in the show on one side, while tracing the notions of happiness on the other side through experiencing the works in order to maybe also find answers for oneself.
Liudvikas Buklys, Thought of Fortune, 2016, Basket with folded laser prints to take away
Alexandra Kostakis, Untitled, 2016, Wooden crate, paint (several previous works inside)
Heinrich Dunst, Things, not words (II), 2016, Marker on print on paper, doormat, label
A visitor following the instructions of, Christian Falsnaes, A good reason is one that looks like one, 2015, Audio file, 40 min. 46 sec. (looped)
Socratis Socratous, Thank God I’m getting on a boat, 2016, Cast iron, Courtesy The Breeder, Athens
Rallou Panagiotou, Transit Made-up Medusa, 2016, Aluminium cast, VW car paint, Delsey suitcase; Transit 90‘s Platform, 2016, Aluminium cast, VW car paint, Delsey suitcase
Barbara Kapusta, Multiplication of U, 2016, Sculpting clay, string, water in wash bowl, towel, laser print
Barbara Kapusta, Instruction for Multiplication of U, 2016, Laser print
Barbara Kapusta, Multiplication of U, 2016, Sculpting clay, string, water in wash bowl, towel, laser print
Anna Sophie Berger, Build a house, then knock it down, 2016, 17 beer mats, laser print
Anna Sophie Berger, Instruction for Build a house, then knock it down, 2016
Misha Stroj, Instruction For Happiness, 2016, Wood, metal, textile
Simon Dybbroe Møller, The Plumber & The Cook, 2015, Laser print
Simon Dybbroe Møller, The Plumber & The Cook, 2015, Laser print
Adriana Lara, Smile at this broken mirror, 2016, Broken mirror
Maruša Sagadin, Regeneration – A promise of satisfaction and happiness, 2016, Print on paper
Kostis Velonis, Untitled (“Life without tragedy” series), 2015, Plywood, wood, acrylic, Courtesy Kalfayan Galleries, Athens – Thessaloniki; The Individual and the Mass (ou nous irons jusqu àu bout), 2011, 2 prints
Kostis Velonis, The Individual and the Mass (ou nous irons jusqu àu bout), 2011, 1 of 2 prints
Kostis Velonis, The Individual and the Mass (ou nous irons jusqu àu bout), 2011, 1 of 2 prints
Stelios Karamanolis, Midnight Landscape, 2016, Colored pencil, acrylic on raw canvas
Lara Nasser, Well, that was a good idea, 2016, 6 UV prints on black plexiglass; motorized silicon sculpture in plexiglass box
Benjamin Hirte, Untitled, 2016, Spray can, silver chrome spray paint, laser engraving
Jannis Varelas, Untitled, 2016, Laser print on yellow paper, Courtesy The Breeder, Athens
Natasha Papadopoulou, In the 70‘s of the future she will be a legal alien, 2016, Performative sculpture (audio in a shell)
Stefania Strouza, You are your synapses, 2016, Digital print on satin, neon lights
Björn Segschneider, Instruction 4 Happinesss, 2016, Video, ca. 3 min.
Angelo Plessas, No need to Worry, 2016, Flash drive for connecting to a device (containing various files), keychain fish, pouch, Courtesy The Breeder, Athens
Hans Schabus, Good Luck is a Birdie, 2016, Feather, brick
Salvatore Viviano, Are you lonesome tonight?, 2016, Audio file on player with headphones, chair, laser print
Salvatore Viviano, Instruction for Are you lonesome tonight?, 2016, laser print
