CURATED BY_María de Corral, Dan Cameron
artists: Koki Tanaka, Mahony
4.5. - 3.7.2009INSIDE JOB is an exhibition that brings eight artists together, four of them in their respective galleries, and four of them as invited artists in the same locations. INSIDE JOB forms part of curated by_vienna 09, an innovative project that connects eighteen Viennese contemporary art galleries with international curators of high distinction. Scheduled to coincide with VIENNAFAIR (May 7-10, 2009; VIENNAFAIR VIP opening on May 6, 2009), curated by_vienna 09 is intended not only as a showcase for the high level Viennese gallery scene, but also demonstrates a commitment to exploring novel forms of cooperation between curators and galleries. The title INSIDE JOB references the slang term for a robbery committed with the help of a knowledgeable insider, but it primarily points to the status of the exhibition itself, as a phenomenon that employs both the structure and artistic content of an art gallery, while remaining semi-autonomous from that structure. To the exhibition curators, the space articulated by the curatorial process is one in which each curator’s direct experience of the particular history of the four galleries is a fundamental tool in shaping the selection and dialogue with each participating artist. For the viewing public, the curator might appear as the ultimate insider, but the unusual pretext for curated by_vienna 09 offers a certain incongruity, in the sense that the curator has neither invented the concept nor selected the spaces, but instead developed a new proposal while working within a relatively narrow given context. At Layr Wuestenhagen Contemporary, an unusually dynamic counterpoint was set up between the single artist KOKI TANAKA and the collective MAHONY. Like Caldas, Tanaka arrived in Vienna empty-handed, and developed his project using materials found and purchased for the occasion. The main difference with Tanaka’s project, however, was that he used everyday objects to create mini-performances inside the gallery, which were videotaped and presented to the public both as documentation and as post-performance residue. In an adjacent room, a selection of recent objects created by Mahony, including a large handmade banner, referenced a recent expedition to South America, and a third space brought the artist and group together, with individual works that appear as if they might have been made by either one.
Koki Tanaka, Walk through test no. 2, 2009, Installation view
Koki Tanaka, Walk through test no. 2, 2009, Installation view
Koki Tanaka, Walk through test no. 2, 2009, Installation view
mahony, "Dear James...", 2009, Installation view
mahony, "Dear James...", 2009, Installation view
mahony, Untitled, 2009, C-Print, 69 x 69 cm
mahony, "Dear James...", 2009, Installation view
mahony, El Importador (Skizze für eine Oper), 2009, Collage, 115 x 115 cm
mahony, Monte Olivia, 2009, acrylic on wood, 80 x 60 cm
mahony, Libertad para el chucrut, 2009, Paint on canvas, 100 x 250 cm
mahony, Urnenschrank, 2009, glass, ashes, c-print, 38 x 48x 16 cm Summary of the letter to the curator of the Bienal del fin del Mundo. A Barrel of Sauerkraut for a Potato Dinner at the End of the World “On a market in Vienna I bought a wooden barrel filled with 80 kg of finest Sauerkraut to send it to Ushuaia” Shortly after the barrel was on its way to Hamburg where it got embarked to the MS Monte Olivia On March 19th the Monte Olivia left Hamburg on its way south passing Le Havre, Plymouth, Dakar and Santos, to finally arrive in the morning of April 5th at the harbour of Buenos Aires “In those days it was when I asked the transport company for details on the arrival of my freight” The Importancy of being an Importer “The company asked me for the Importer of the Barrel, all I could tell them: it is me who imports it, so I decided to become an official importer. This was the beginning of the Odyssey” How to become an Importer 1. Register in the public Fiscal Administration “I went to the AFIP to learn that at first I would need an inscription in the national Register of Importers and Exporters .” 2. Inscription in the national Register of Importers and Exporters “In the national Registers office I picked a number and waited 4 hours. Later I learned that first of all I have to go to the Immigration office” Immigration office 3. Register as resident in Argentina (category of artists and sportsmen) “For a registration as resident I had to bring documents from my homecountry,a certificate of birth and a copy of my criminal record” “At the same time I discovered the existence of Customs Clearance Agent people who are specialized in realizing the customs formalities” “I found one of these Agents and showed him all the papers I got from the Transport. He looked at them and said that in this case the only way to get the Sauerkraut out of the Custom Control would be a black trade with the Administrations of the state” “At this time I had only 5 days left in Buenos Aires before leaving to the End of the World” “So I decided to call my Embassy for help. They gave me a number of an import - export company. Unfortunately, they import furniture and artwork, but no artwork that contains food” “Meanwhile at the Customs I found out that for becoming an Importer I also have to be registered in the national Institute of Alimentation” “There was no time left for more registrations so I decided to go directly to the storage where the Barrel was put” Customs Technical Office of Importation For becoming an importer for one single time it is necessary to have a tax number in Argentina. For modifying the contract to a new recipient with tax number the original recipient also has to have a tax number in Argentina. After all these informations, the last chance to liberate the Barrel is to donate it to the state of Argentina, to wait for the state´s reply and pay for the expenses. But the state could either accept the donation or send it back to its origin. In this case the sender has to pay the expenses and transport costs. “I don´t like the idea to abandon the Barrel, so that it will be destroyed one day. Therefore I decided to send it on an eternal travel in open water.“