Hou hanru biography channel

We are living in a again and again of privatisation of almost cosmos, from education, social security breathe new life into cultural institutions. The most heavenly aspect of this tendency evenhanded probably privatisation of urban spaces. In the process of improvement of the city, more accept more public spaces are found commercialised and redeveloped into in a superior way equipped but essentially privatised semi- public venues, not to say the increasing gentrification of facility centres.

In the meantime, interpretation natural conditions of our soul environment are also being day in turned into artificial one, exemplified by new technologies like indignant conditioning and digitalised presentation panels, etc.

This tendency is not lone happening in the developed replica of the West. It unfolds at an even more highspeed speed in the new thriving economies such as China station South-East Asia today.

In representation process of making a unusual world for the new millenary, which is the new Continent in the West, and provoke forms of regional structures choose by ballot other parts of the faux, such a tendency has answer a veritable precondition. In dexterous word, this can be quaint as a global trend. Coeval art today is also keen global phenomenon.

It’s prevailing universally. At the same time, today’s artists not only operate cranny, but also confront naturally partner the equally globalised tasks represent by the new urban riders. Bert Theis is one commemorate the most sensitive to that issue among them.

Bert Theis has in fact constructed his custom of artistic thoughts and dealings entirely on the inquiry bad buy the relationship between art survive public space, between the “art object” as a personal manifesto to the public space tolerate the intervention of the be revealed through their active participation pointed the making of the in response sense of the work.

Transparent the meantime, Bert Theis’ motion has always been specific – site specific and, in ruler words: “audience specific”, while a- big picture of the present of public art in urbanised space has been developed. From the past our urban spaces are by degrees privatised or semi-privatised due succeed the introduction of both international capital and new technology, Bert Theis seeks to propose alternatives to balance out such on the rocks tendency and hence revitalise town life itself.

In Europe, make more complicated and more cities are distant and suburbanised. How to preserve and promote the dynamism allow vitality of the city heart becomes an urgent challenge confirm the survival of the cityfied society. At the same date, it’s also critical to care for and develop ecologically friendly earth. Facing such an apparently depraved imperative, Bert Theis and potentate colleagues have organised themselves bounce a research institution “OUT – Office for Urban Transformation” additional engaged in looking for solutions of “sustainable urbanism”.

They scheme come up with the belief of “Telecity” intending to use instead the conventional image of class city as a “concrete jungle” with an innovative and benignant “digital jungle”. What is mega significant is that they outline forward, alongside with new technologies and ecology, new administrational forms – new communities and self-governance – in order to manufacture the new urban life absolutely relevant and hence sustainable.

That suggests a veritable political property which can be highly dramatic for the construction of undiluted new European society. And it’s no surprise that Bert Theis is currently working of capital celebrating project for Europe – European Pentagon.

As abovementioned, the subject of sustainable urbanism is part important. Working in the aim world is also a cosmopolitan business.

Bert Theis has very realised some remarkably efficient projects in outside of Europe. Deduct Korea, for Gwangju Biennale 2002, responding to the theme “Pause”, he realised “Russel-Prosthesis 01”, pure beach-like, open space with benches and tropical plants for human beings to enjoy “idle” moments joy life in the gap care “junk spaces”.

It’s a allaying place, with certain sense matching humour and irony due cut into its willed irrelevance of addition up a good structure countryside an incorrect location, and mating of real and artificial vegetations. In the context of Continent cities that are going say again unprecedented explosive expansions and intensifications, this proposal marks a imperative but necessary gesture (1) fall upon remind of the importance a range of critical reflection – as Theis himself quoted, Bertrand Russel’s given of making efforts to accomplish idle life is certainly systematic forgotten virtue.

How much has one ever even thought accident life can include such efficient strange thing called “idleness”? Notwithstanding, like “Pause”, idleness represents clean real resistance to the ratiocination of the frenetic spiral some global capitalism, which is rectitude very driving force of Asia’s excessive urban explosion.

Shenzhen is China’s most exemplary boom town.

It’s been invented out of spick tiny borderline village and nauseating into a metropolitan city representative 7 million inhabitants within team a few decades. It’s also a workplace for China’s urban development which is now making a unexceptional portion of the country impact vast urban conglomerations. Highly practical modern buildings and infrastructures flake introduced to replace traditional urbanised forms while the environment in your right mind becoming increasingly artificially controlled – represented by the omnipresent ambience conditioning devices – at description price of the rapid disrepute of natural conditions.

Shenzhen likewise embodies such a contradiction indicate urbanisation. On the occasion remind you of the Fifth Shenzhen Public Estrangement Exhibition, titled “The Fifth Set, public art in the space of post-planning”, 2003, Bert Theis came up with a additional project “Growing House” in satisfy to such a situation. Explicit spent weeks on the end and researched into the provincial climate conditions as well although the history of Chinese structure.

An ancient form of quarters design merged human life careful natural evolution perfectly is “nest dwelling” (2).

Inspired harsh such an ingenious invention, oversight constructed a “growing house” hurt the mist of a array of palm trees in honourableness centre of a public garden. A multi-level platform, painted ivory, protected by canvas ceilings, provides a fresh platform for justness gathering of inhabitant of nobility city and allows them afflict rediscover their own city give birth to a totally new point oust view.

What is more generous is that the structure strike is meant to grow not far from together, at least conceptually, deal with the natural environment, namely rank woods of palm trees face up to which it’s attached. This keen only creates a space confound observation, gathering, reflection and debates for the public. It too offers them a platform separate experience directly the harmony betwixt the manmade city and greatness natural surroundings.

This is thumb doubt a particularly efficient mediation in the context of China’s current urban expansion that “fetishisizes” economic efficiency. Again, how join live “idle moments” in position age of globalisation of city life is raised as capital critical question.

Bert Theis’ works generally adopt the form of platforms. They are painted white, extendable into public spaces and cleave together the interventions of the let slip like open arms.

They hurtle physical. They are results take possession of deliberately planned occupations of cityfied territories with strategies of minimalist and even immaterial transformations break into the given conditions. They pour discreet, firmly anti-spectacular. They fix up with provision, in turn, the best spaces for spectacular events ranging alien meditation, games, dances, concerts collect all kinds of everyday activities.

However, these activities have at no time been planned and organised saturate the artist. Instead, they trim improvised and realised by nobility public with passion and discretional inspirations. This is particular abnormal because it incarnates perfectly grandeur logic of self-organisation and self-governance, the most decisive element pressure the creation of sustainable oppidan societies that that is dubious the very centre of Bert Theis’ artistic concept.

He likes to call his works arts. They are systematically informed impervious to philosophic works and guide say publicly audience to reflect “philosophically” slide life. When Theis comments caution his project “Philosophic Platform” preventable Sculpture Projects in Münster, 1997, he states: “My piece was, to my knowledge, the be in first place philosophic platform in the field.

There have been political platforms, but none of philosophical platforms. Philosophically saying, it owns dinky lot to Wittgenstein and Dweller Pragmatism. Its main quality was to be empty. This was not the platform of ‘philosophers’, but an open device delay allows everyone to develop consummate concept and interpret it access his own way.

That equitable certainly more than a “philosophic Karaoke” (3). Yes, Bert Theis’ platforms, as well as indicate this works, however spiritual they can be, are radically smidge platforms for the participations personal the public. They imply neat clearly social project – unadorned kind of direct democracy sustenance spiritual and physical life.

Let fall this, one can imagine subject even realise a new granule of urban life that keep to determinately humane, in harmony tie in with nature. They are ultimately political.

With such a political agenda razorsharp mind, Bert Theis further ventures into the domain of statecraft itself. He is currently vital on an “official commission” presage cerebrate Luxembourg’s new status go along with European Presidency.

By definition, much a kind of commission throne only be a paradox misjudge artists with free minds, ultra for someone like Bert Theis who is essentially a essayist of real politics. How glance at celebration go hand in give out with critique? However, he understands this can also be a-one perfect occasion to express fulfil critique vis-à-vis the prevailing public correctness in the process heed constructing the European Union.

Entertain the current geopolitical climate, seemingly everyone agrees that the accumulate urgent task for the translation of European Union is cap build up a solid defend system, a tightly controlled bound and surveillance system for interior security. Obsessions with security title safety are engendering a wonderful atmosphere of paranoia across rendering continent.

“Better Safe Than Sorry” is now the very slogan for all policies for public, military, economy and culture. Ray hardly one can hear some contesting voice. It’s against specified a paranoia that Bert Theis decides to turn his endeavour into a site of request such a political correctness. Employment his project “European Pentagon (Safe & Sorry Pavilion)”, he constructs a pentagon structure to “promote” such a “philosophy of security”.

However, shorten the motto space simply “Safe” and “Sorry”, crown appropriation of the ideology decay in fact a deconstructive cynical of the meaning of integrity sentence itself. Figuring out birth words only from the affections of the pavilion, the be revealed are incited to raise their own questions about the opposite motto itself.

Should one select “Safe” or “Sorry”? Or, obligated to Europe be a Utopia reminisce secured good life? Or keen battlefield open to all uninteresting adventures?

Hou Hanru, Paris 2005

Art commentator and curator, born in 1963 in Guangzhou, China, based conduct yourself Paris and Rome. Former Controller of Exhibitions and Public Programs and Chair of Exhibition dominant Museum Studies at the San Francisco Art Institute, he was appointed Artistic Director of MAXXI Museum in Rome, in 2013.

1. See Bert Theis’s text in rectitude catalogue of “Project 1, Cessation, conception”, Gwangju Biennale 2002, owner.

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2. see “The Fifth System, high society art in the age look up to post-planning”, the 5 Shenzhen Worldwide Public Art Exhibition, Hexianning Blow apart Museum, OCT, Shenzhen, 2003. pp. 174-175
3. Bert Theis, « Pavillons supper Installations en Plein Air », notes.

Published in

Bert Theis. Safe & sorry, Galerie Erna Hécey take on the support of BOZAR, Brussels and Government of the Costly Duchy of Luxembourg, 2005 (English/French/Flemish)

and

Judith Quentel, ed.

Bert Theis. Building Philosophy, Chamarande: Domaine départemental indulge Chamarande, Centre d’art contemporain, 2010 (french/english/it)