Infinite Ear. Tarek Atoui, Lendl Barcelos, Goda Budvytyte, Valentina Desideri, Myriam Lefkowitz, Alison O'Daniel

GARAGE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART PRESENTS:
INFINITE EAR. TAREK ATOUI, LENDL BARCELOS, GODA BUDVYTYTE, VALENTINA DESIDERI, MYRIAM LEFKOWITZ, ALISON O’DANIEL
June 8–September 2, 2018
Infinite Ear is an exhibition of hearing situations that has been derived from an ongoing series of international workshops and dialogues with deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Developed in Moscow as part of Garage’s Field Research Program, the artists and curators explored various connections between society’s understanding of deafness and multiple dimensions of Russian cultural history. The resulting exhibition presents a unique sonic space where the public are invited to hear, feel, understand, dream, and play sound in a way they have never encountered before. In this project, sound ceases to be an exclusively physical notion that can be measured by an audiogram and becomes an artistic value with limitless interpretations. The experience includes WITHIN, a display of instruments by Tarek Atoui, played during concerts and workshops, and a project by Alison O’Daniel composed of sculptures and a video series. To amplify the central exhibition thesis—that each person has their own way to perceive sound through vibration, body movement, sign language, images, and fiction—an experimental mediation will be established by the artists Lendl Barcelos, Valentina Desideri and Myriam Lefkowitz. The first version of Infinite Ear was presented for the Bergen Assembly in Norway in 2016.

Tarek Atoui (b. 1980, Lebanon) is a musician and sound artist. He has presented his custom-built electronic instruments internationally; his most recent projects were presented at dOCUMENTA 13 in Kassel (2012), Serpentine Gallery in London (2012), the 8th Berlin Biennale (2014), Tate Modern (2016), and Bergen Assembly (2016). Tarek lives and works in Paris.
Lendl Barcelos (b. 1987, Canada) tends to be what (s)he pretends to be; now, a writer and an artist. Lendl is based in Brussels and has shown work via The Wire, The Passive Collective, TATE Britain, OR Gallery (Berlin), V4ult, Performing Arts Forum, /V\inibar, MIT Press & Re:Press. Hen is part of Asounder & the collaborative artist 0[rphan]D[rift>].
Goda Budvytyte (b. 1985, Lithuania) is an independent graphic designer currently running her practice between Amsterdam and Brussels. She works in a wide range of formats within the cultural field, exploring how different types of content can be translated into books, graphic identities, exhibition designs and other legible narratives. Her recent/ongoing collaborations include Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (2012), ETH Zurich (since 2012), Lithuanian Pavilion in the 55th Venice Biennale (2013), Wiels | Contemporary Art Centre, Brussels (2015), and Tate Publishing, London (2016).
Valentina Desideri (b. 1982, Italy) is an Amsterdam-based artist. She trained in contemporary dance at the Laban Centre in London and has a Master’s degree in fine arts from the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. She practises Fake Therapy and Political Therapy, co-organizes the Performing Arts Forum in France, speculates in writing with Professor Stefano Harney, engages in poetry readings with Professor Denise Ferreira da Silva, reads, and writes.
Myriam Lefkowitz (b. 1980, France) is a performance artist. She is the director of the Cie Débribes, founded in 2004, and directs choreographic projects which question the relationship between motion and gaze. Her projects have been presented at galleries and exhibitions worldwide, including the 55th Venice Biennale (2013). She is currently based in Paris
Alison O’Daniel (b. 1979, Miami, USA) is an artist working across film, sculpture, performance, and music. She aims to examine the politics of production, representation, and reception regarding sound and acts of listening. Alison’s work has been presented in solo exhibitions at Samuel Freeman Gallery (Los Angeles), Centre d’Art Contemporain Passerelle (Brest, France) and Art In General (NYC) in March 2016. Alison lives and works in Los Angeles.
Council is a not-for-profit organization that assembles knowledge from the arts, sciences, and civil society in order to foster new understandings of societal issues. Council’s program revolves around long-term ‘inquiries’ that produce exhibitions, publications, and events, as well as the commission of new artworks. Founded in 2013 by Grégory Castéra and Sandra Terdjman, Council is based in Paris, but operates internationally.
Curated by Council (Grégory Castéra and Sandra Terdjman). The exhibition at Garage is organized by Anastasia Mityushina, Curator of Public Programs, and Iaroslav Volovod, Assistant Curator, in collaboration with the Inclusive Department team.
The exhibition is organized with the support of Institut francais and the Embassy of France in Russia
GARAGE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is a place for people, art, and ideas to create history. Through an extensive program of exhibitions, events, education, research, and publishing, the institution reflects on current developments in Russian and international culture, creating opportunities for public dialogue, as well as the production of new work and ideas in Moscow. At the center of all these activities is the Museum’s collection, which is the first archive in the country related to the development of Russian contemporary art from the 1950s through the present. Founded in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich, Garage is the first philanthropic organization in Russia to create a comprehensive public mandate for contemporary art and culture. Open seven days a week, it was initially housed in the renowned Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage in Moscow, designed by the Constructivist architect Konstantin Melnikov. In 2012 Garage relocated to a temporary pavilion in Gorky Park, specifically commissioned from award-winning architect Shigeru Ban. A year later, a purpose-built Education Center was opened next to the Pavilion. On June 12, 2015, Garage welcomed visitors to its first permanent home. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and his OMA studio, this groundbreaking preservation project transformed the famous Vremena Goda (Seasons of the Year) Soviet Modernist restaurant, built in 1968 in Gorky Park, into a contemporary museum.
Garage is a non-profit project of The IRIS Foundation.
Adam Abdalla
Cultural Counsel
Email: adam@culturalcounsel.com
UNIQLO
UNIQLO designs functional, innovative, and affordable apparel. The LifeWear line’s DNA is high quality, simplicity, longevity, and trendiness regardless of a person’s lifestyle or style.
As part of the strategic partnership between UNIQLO and Garage, a series of special events and activities are held. Garage and UNIQLO has launched UNIQLO Free Friday Nights, continuing the tradition of free admission for all visitors every Friday evening at such key art institutions as MoMa in New York and Tate in London. Garage visitors can enjoy free admission to all exhibitions every Friday between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Garage Lounge Zone opened at the UNIQLO Atrium store, Moscow, in 2017. Customers can immerse themselves in the art world with books and magazines about art, fashion, and contemporary culture. The zone is also a space for free lectures and master classes, as well as special projects by Garage.
PIK GROUP
PIK is the largest real estate development company in Russia. Constructing modern and comfortable homes, it sets a new standard for architecture and quality of life. PIK is known for clean, minimalist design with a few bright accents. Inviting emerging architecture studios to design its facades, and combining their input with its own technical expertise, the company offers new solutions for urban construction.
As partners, PIK and Garage will join forces and expertise to create public spaces that will be comfortable and interesting for all visitors. When they buy a new home, PIK customers will receive a free GARAGE card that will grant them free priority admission to Garage’s exhibitions and special events, as well as discounts at Garage café and Bookshop for one year. Garage visitors will be able to take part in events organised with PIK’s support.
INGOSSTRAKH
Ingosstrakh has been a major player in both the Russian and international markets since 1947. The company is the national leader in Russia based on total insurance premiums in the voluntary insurance sector (not including life insurance). Ingosstrakh is authorized to handle all types of insurance services (in accordance with the insurance company’s specialization) specified in Article 32.9 of the Insurance Law of the Russian Federation, as well as reinsurance services. For many years, Ingosstrakh has provided insurance services for important works of art and other valuable historical objects. The company has 149 locations throughout Russia, as well as branches and subsidiaries worldwide.
Ingosstrakh is the Official Insurance Partner of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art for the second year running. For Ingosstrakh, the partnership with Garage is an important stage in expanding cooperation with leading museums in Russia and across the world. The company insures the artworks exhibited and, jointly with the Museum, implements a wide range of special programs for visitors.
BMW GROUP RUSSIA
BMW Group has had a presence in the art world for many years thanks to its BMW Art Car project that lists artists like Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, and César Manrique among its participants. Since racing driver and art enthusiast Hervé Poulain invited Alexander Calder to paint the first car in 1975, some of the world’s biggest artists have created nineteen unique designs based on the company’s models. BMW Group is also a long-time partner of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and has organized long-term projects in collaboration with Tate Modern in London and the National Gallery in Berlin.
Garage helps to promote art and culture and inspire millions of people to discover new things. For BMW Group, which celebrated its centenary in 2016, the partnership with Garage is a wonderful opportunity to support contemporary art. Starting from 2017, BMW Group supports one of the Museum’s main programs, offering Art and Technology grants to contemporary artists.