Deutsches Historisches Museum - Verf�hrung Freiheit. Kunst in Europa seit 1945 - Blog

The Spanish-Icelandic artist duo Libia Castro and Ólafur Ólafsson asked the British writer and philosopher Nina Power to contribute to another piece shown: the free newspaper ‘ThE right tO RighT’ (2012). Nina Power emphasized the contradictions in texts like The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and what came out was the Partial Declaration of Human Wrongs.

Whereas the Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood, the latter’s Article 1 reads as follows:

Many human beings are born. Freedom and equality in dignity and rights is heavily dependent on where you are born, who your parents are, and which government is bombing other (and/or your own) people in your name.

It seems as if the Partial Declaration of Human Wrongs is a more accurate description of the reality of rights than the rather ‘optimistic’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Following the theme of equality in connection with modern society we find a board game on a table together with four seats inside the CHB. If you accept the invitation to play, you will find yourself in a medieval board game, similar to Monopoly, called ‘Set Sail for the Levant’ (2007) by Olivia Plender. You become rich and live or poor and die depending on luck, rules and personal ruthlessness. Sounds a bit like the ongoing financial crisis? On purpose!

Going up to the main exhibition room, we find a work by Tibor Horváth that also has a financial background: ‘Donation for the Benefit of Democracy’ (2010).

As opposed to an actual ATM, this sculpture asks for money only to then let it slip onto the floor: Democracy cannot be bought. Horváth made this piece as a reaction to the Hungarian elections in 2010 when Viktor Orbán became Prime minister and was quick in rewriting ‘democracy’, ‘law’ and ‘political representation’ in compliance with the parliament.

Tibor Horváth attended the opening of the exhibition and left a little impromptu piece: the word ‘egalité’ written on the wall in Angela Merkel’s handwriting.

Another piece you will find in the exhibition hall is the ‘Stummer Diener’ (literally ‘mute servant’) by Katarina Šević and Gergely László (2013). The installation is based on the play ‘The Fireraisers’ by Max Frisch from 1958 in which a choir of firemen continually warns the businessmen Biedermann of two arsonists whom he invited into his home and what he chooses to ignore. In the end his house is consummated by the fire and he and his wife die.

The wooden piece with seven copies of ‚The Fireraisers‘ is only part of the installation. The books are open but you can read only those parts of the choir. Additionally during the opening event there were seven performers who sang – just like in a Greek tragedy – the parts of the choir of firemen.

Another artist group from Berlin that is participating is bankleer with two videos, one screened inside, one outside on the panoramic window after six p.m. and a room likened to a bank vault in the exhibition hall… that you would have to see for yourself!

This exhibition is part of the 30^th Council of Europe Art Exhibition program.

Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (.CHB) - Balassi Institut
Dorotheenstr 12, Berlin
Hours: Mon-Fry 10-19, Sat-Sun 14-19
Free entry

Until January 19, 2014!