Wunderkammer / cabinet of curiosities 1. - 14. April 2021, Karlsplatz Wien
Die “Wunderkammer” von den Studierenden des Fachbereichs Kunst und Fotografie der Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien im RC Showroom Karlsplatz bis 15.04. zu sehen.
Based on the historical relevance of the cabinet of curiosities we created a contemporary interpretation assembling a relatively broad variety of works. The space invokes a range of associations deriving from the displayed objects and juxtaposes related discourses on current situations. The purpose of this show is to address the public with a sense of wonder about the connections between things, minds and surroundings.
Resonance is the ability of the displayed object to reach out beyond its formal boundaries to a larger world, evoking and propagating the complex and dynamic forces, from which it has emerged. By wonder, we mean the power of an object to stop the viewer in her tracks, hence to provoke an arresting sense of intriguing unusualness, conveying a particular state of attention. Resonance and Wonder - the Wunderkammer stimulates both at the same time. At the occurrence of the cabinets, where the worldview of people found a response (believed) in a miracle (wonder), people discovered the linkages between things, and also between things and spirit and nature, everywhere. Each object was wonderful in itself, and at the same time revealed the secrets of the world.
The idea of the Wunderkammer seems to be suitably ambivalent for times, where the appreciation and awareness of art seem to be reduced and artistic production, in its turn, is perceived as redundant and not essential for everyday life. The sense of wonder appearing in the shifts of perception is, however, vital, and by no means superfluous. Contrary to current tendencies, it seems even more important to infuse the public sphere with a sense of curiosity and insight. The use the idea of the Wunderkammer is a way of expressing those feelings as well as framing the works crowded in a narrow space.