Catrin Bolt — Missed the Theme

Opening, May 19, 2010, 6 pm
Exhibition, May 20 – July 2, 2010

Does a space only exist when it is defined? Is it only then that the things in it can be recognized for what they are? Is there even such a thing as undefined spaces? We constantly find ourselves in spaces and places, using things whose correct and false use is clearly circumscribed. Sidewalk, park bench, handbag. Their type and use are communicated through their design and appearance. In defining spaces and things as well, it seems to be very important to us to establish their purpose. Natural spaces are often seen as largely undefined spaces. We thus make a sport out of assigning them a usage. We even decide what nature really is and cordon it off to create national parks, which are then in turn devoted to a specific purpose—as places of recreation and the preservation of species. And in agriculture we use monocultures not only to define what is allowed to grow where, but also what it should be used for—for example, the palm tree plantations serve the production of biofuel, or there is the idea of “Fordlandia”—a plantation on which only rubber for car tires is cultivated. In order to determine what something actually is, it therefore appears vital for us to know what it is used for.

Catrin Bolt (b. 1979 in Austria) lives and works in Vienna.
www.catrinbolt.at

Curated by Christian Kravagna and Hedwig Saxenhuber.