Once upon a time, in some remote corner of the universe, poured out and glittering in innumerable solar systems, there was once a star on which clever animals invented knowledge. […] But if we could communicate with the mosquito, then we would learn that he floats through the air with the same self importance, feeling within itself the flying center of the world.
Friedrich Nietzsche, On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense

From the boundary that we take for granted between animals and humans, neither evolutionary biology nor paleoanthropology can define with certainty the point at which animal and human life are separated. In search of this boundary, the “clever animal” undertakes further categorizations and hierarchizations that derive relationships, form groups, but above all result in manifesting a polar assessment: lovable or disliked (companion), useful or harmful (resource) - ultimately good or bad.

The anthropocentric classification differentiates between livestock, actually meaning resource, domestic animals, too often kept in captivity under denatured circumstances, and pests that even reduce the economic success of humans by damaging their crops, goods or buildings, transmitting pathogens or appear as direct food rivals. At the latest here our so-called morality fails.

In fact, it is human beings who unquestionably turn out to be the greatest pest on the planet, while slowly becoming more and more aware of the (eco) system-preserving importance of the innumerable, mostly smaller living beings. Immediately after falling through the dark tunnel, a white rabbit is now required – alles im Wunderland (all in Wonderland).

The exhibition Alles im Wunderland part of the cooperation Artentreffen along the RMV-S-Bahn line 8 with the Art and Culture Foundation Opelvillen Rüsselsheim and the German Leather Museum in Offenbach am Main. Artentreffen is funded by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain.
 

Oliver Laric, Betweenness, 2018, Courtesy: The artist and Tanya Leighton Gallery, Berlin.
Alles im Wunderland, installation view, Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, works from Ann-Kristin Hamm and Isa Melsheimer, Photo: Christian Lauer
Alles im Wunderland, intallation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, works from Zac Langdon-Pole, Laurent Mignonneau & Christa Sommerer and Ann-Kristin Hamm, Photo: Christian Lauer
Alles im Wunderland, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, works from Lili Fischer (front), Dominika Bednarsky and Edi Danartono, Photo: Christian Lauer
Alles im Wunderland, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, works from Dominika Bednarsky, Edi Danartono, Aude Pariset and Jo Penca, Photo: Christian Lauer
Monira Al Qadiri, Divine Memory, 2019, Commissioned by Kunstverein Göttingen, © and courtesy: the artist
Dominika Bednarsky, Snails, 2018-20, © and courtesy: the artist, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Frank Brechter, Stubenfliege und Klatsche, 2020, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and PPC Philipp Pflug Contemporary, Frankfurt am Main, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Janine Drewes
Edi Danartono, Can’t Do Without You, 2020, © and courtesy: the artist, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Max Eulitz, 072, from the series Portraits, 2016 - ongoing, © and courtesy: the artist, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Lili Fischer, Schnake, 2008/9, © the artist and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2020, Courtesy: the artist Installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Sverre Fredriksen & Zaou Vaughan, Human Nature, 2020, © and courtesy: the artist
Ryan Gander, The End, 2020, © Ryan Gander and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2020, Courtesy: the artist and Lisson Gallery, London, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, photo: Christian Lauer
Andreas Greiner, Olafur (Breakdance), 2013, ©: the artist, courtesy: the artist and private collection, Zürich
Ann-Kristin Hamm, Schmetterlingskasten, 2014/20, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and Galerie Rupert Pfab, Düsseldorf, Installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
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Klara Hobza, Portrait, 2020, © the artist and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2020, Courtesy: the artist and Soy Capitán, Berlin, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Zac Langdon-Pole, Punctatum, 2017, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and Michael Lett, Auckland, Installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Janine Drewes
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Isa Melsheimer, Insecta II, 2014, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and Esther Schipper, Berlin, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Katja Novitskova, Approximation, (5iu4.0 chimera surface ligand, fruit fly), 2017, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Berlin, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Aude Pariset, Hungry Bin (Paper Safe), 2015, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and SANDY BROWN, Berlin, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Janine Drewes
Jo Penca, Insect of the year, 2018 - ongoing, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and Deborah Schamoni, München, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Heather Phillipson, 100% OTHER FIBRES, 2016 Video still, © and courtesy: the artist
Lucy Powell, Hill Climbing With Random Restarts (moving out), 2017, Video still, © and courtesy: the artist
Laurent Mignonneau / Christa Sommerer, Homo Insectus, 2020, interactive installation, © the artist, courtesy: the artist and Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt am Main, installation view Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, 2020, Photo: Christian Lauer
Władysław Starewicz, The Cameraman’s Revenge, 1912

Reopening / Alles im Wunderland

19. August 2021 - 10. October 2021

 

Monira Al Qadiri / Dominika Bednarsky / Frank Brechter / Edi Danartono / Max Eulitz / Lili Fischer / Sverre Fredriksen & Zaou Vaughan / Ryan Gander / Andreas Greiner / Ann-Kristin Hamm / Klara Hobza / Zac Langdon-Pole / Oliver Laric / Isa Melsheimer / Katja Novitskova / Aude Pariset / Jo Penca / Heather Phillipson / Lucy Powell / Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau / Władysław Starewicz / Simon Van Heddegem