Conditions of Political Choreography

Conditions of Political Choreography
Center for Contemporary Art (CCA), Tel Aviv (Israel): Nov. 17, 2016 — Jan. 7, 2017 Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.), Berlin (Germany): June 16, 2017 — July 16, 2017
Contributions by
Yochai Avrahami, Yael Bartana, Noam Enbar / Yonatan Levy, Christian Falsnaes, Ohad Fishof / Noz Zuk, Michal Helfman, Adam Linder, Antje Majewski, Markus Miessen, Ohad Meromi, Susanne M. Winterling, et al.
Curated by
Marius Babias (Director, n.b.k.), Sergio Edelsztein (Director, CCA), Sophie Goltz (Curator, n.b.k.), Chen Tamir (Curator, CCA)
The Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.) and the Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) will present a project in two parts titled “The Conditions of Political Choreography.” The first iteration will take place at the CCA in the fall of 2016 for which Berlin-based architect Markus Miessen will transform the galleries and the second iteration will take place at the n.b.k. in Berlin in summer 2017 in a space created by New York based artist Ohad Meromi.
This project pushes both formal and political boundaries through experimental works by internationally renowned artists, performers, theatre-makers, and dancers, who have been invited to respond to each institution and its social-political context. Departing from the bi-national approach normally associated with German-Israeli relationships, this project aims to move beyond the familiar discourse of victim/victimizer stemming from the Holocaust that underlines all German-Israeli exchange. While the Holocaust is certainly one starting point, the exhibition seeks to form a sense of history in the face of Europe-fatigue and increasing racism in democratic societies. Informed by global migration, the project embraces multiple perspectives, and looks to generate transnational memory in line with the 21st century.
The works in “Conditions of Political Choreography” raise questions about the limits of belonging, artistic disciplines, and imposed structures. In parallel to rethinking context, the project challenges artists to use
this framework to push against the constraints of architecture and the performative platform and in the process ask questions such as: What is the difference between being hosted (in a space, in a country) and being contained? When does the freedom to collaborate become an obligation to do so? What are the responsibilities that come with power?