July 08, 2021, 10 am – 2 pm
Many thanks to the critic, curator & artist Andreas Schlaegel for his lecture Taboos, Rules & Surprises – A small essay-lecture on why overstepping the lines makes art relevant and discussing the works of our participants within the Studio Program at BAI | Berlin Artist Residency, Art School, Arts Incubator, and Live Online Courses & Classes.
“Borders demarcate nations, rules and laws govern the way we relate to each other. Breaching the law entails punishment, we know that and try to avoid it – in our actions and thinking. However there is a space in western societies, where even violent fantasies of breaking the laws are not only possible, but acceptable and even encouraged and rewarded. On the condition, it remains a fantasy, this is possible in the arts. But what about the realms fantasy cannot reach?
The taboo is an action, that is so unacceptable, it is rendered unthinkable. The strength of a taboo is detemined in a kind of reverse democracy, by not adressing it, we agree on it. By collectively demarcating an area that is off-limits to the mind we all contribute to the definition of our collective and individual identity. Art can be regarded as a dare to think about the possibility of breaking a taboo, expands the set of choices, and may give us a surprising sense of independence and freedom.
In this lecture, I will look into current and historic works of art and reflect on the conditions of their creation, to understand which limitations they (re-)negotiated, and how they crossed the line.” (Text by courtesy of Andreas Schlaegel)
