Talk Axel J. Wieder

Recent years saw a growing attention towards the artistic process of production and distribution. Articulated through performative practices or an understanding of the art object as an index of artistic work, this shift can be understood in relation to the fundamental changes of society since the 1960s, the impact of information and social networks on all social levels, and their critical investigation. As part of this reconsideration, also a new interest in critical practices since the 1960s became visible - an archeological impulse toward the uncovering of early experiments with process, interaction, and communication. Based on a series of exhibitions and projects, Axel Wieder will discuss the legacy of these practices and their value for today. Axel J. Wieder studied art history and cultural theory at the University of Cologne and the Humboldt University in Berlin, specializing in conceptual art, postmodern theory and architecture. Since 1990 he has taken part in numerous exhibitions in collaboration with Jesko Fezer, including the 9th Istanbul Biennale in 2005. In 1999 he co-founded the Pro qm bookstore in Berlin. For the 3rd Berlin Biennale in 2004 Wieder and Fezer devised a section on urban spatial development in Berlin. Since 2007, under the directorship of Axel Wieder, the Künstlerhaus Stuttgart has repositioned itself both locally and internationally. The talk will be held in English! The lecture series is a collaboration of migros museum für gegenwartskunst Zürich and the Postgraduate Programme in Curating of the ZHdK.