FLYING
Flying is a climate killer. Every plane journey that can be avoided protects the environment. More than
60 artists were asked to lend wings to their ideas for the exhibition Flying, among them many former
fellowship holders at Künstlerhaus Bethanien. There was no prescribed minimum altitude. The emerging
group of works is correspondingly free – although essentially within the field of painting.
The following artists are participating in the exhibition:
Gustavo Acosta, Schamsudin Akhmadov, Nicolai Angelov, Murshida Arzu Alpana,
Cheikhou Ba, Caroline Bachmann / Stefan Banz, Vinod Balak, Eliška Bartek,
Bedri Baykam, Norbert Bisky, Timur Celik,
Felix D’Eon, Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, Damien Deroubaix, Danilo Dueñas,
Dag Erik Elgin, Carin Ellberg, Hadassah Emmerich, Shahram Entekhabi,
Abdulnasser Gharem, Andrew Gilbert, Tina Gillen, Dulce Gómez, Nicole Guiraud,
Erla S. Haraldsdóttir, Alona Harpaz, Wayne Hinds, He Huang, Sara Hughes,
Sajid Khan, Lina Kim, Jems Robert Koko Bi, Paweł Ksiazek,
the artist duo JKM, Marcia Kure, Michael Kutschbach,
Engdaget Amede Legesse, Eoin Llewellyn, Robert Lucander,
Mustafa Maluka, John Miller, Adriana Molder,
Christophe Ndabananiye, Xuan Huy Nguyen,
Manuel Ocampo, Miguel Ángel Pascual, Aurelia Pontes,
Robert Quint, Leonard Qylafi, Zarema Rashidowa,
Adam Saks, Manuela Sambo, Nicola Samori, Seo, Emmy Skensved, Attila Szücs,
Barthélémy Toguo, Mamuka Tsetskhladze, Hiroki Tsukuda, Alexandros Tzannis,
Santiago Ydañez and Sergey Voronzov.
The starting point for the project was an idea by Peter Glückstein and Stefanie Steudemann to bring 52
images on the topic of Flying together with 52 literary texts selected by Ulrich Schreiber and so produce a
book, which is still being planned. The first texts by Herta Müller, Boualem Sansal and Ala Hlehel are ready
for publication. Herta Müller is also showing her poem – in the form of a collage, enlarged to poster format –
in the exhibition.
In the catalogue text to the exhibition, Jeannot Simmen writes: “The basic principle of all aviation arts
is simple: lighter than air or heavier than air, that is, divine floating or angelic flight, hot air balloon or
aeroplane. But man’s muscle power is incapable of lifting his own weight into the air. – For us as human
beings, floating is a deep promise and the happy experience of dreaming or meditation alone.”
Responsible for the graphic design of the catalogue, Fons Hickmann m23 has found an extremely efficient
form, presented in a subtle but not artificially sophisticated manner that accentuates the artworks in a
tasteful way.
The exhibition is being realized with generous support from the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Senate Office –
Cultural Affairs.