hausbank

The project evolves – and finally the new main text on the website presents it as what it turned out to be. A joint-venture of two collectives active in two different European cities – Hausbank and Schijnheilig. It is great to see how a simple and quite kleingeistig question like “What do I and others think about Austria” can lead to a vibrant international effort if all people involved dare to make this step. Indeed, not many meals cook well in their own gravy (Haha, I doubt that’s proper English – the artistic director of the Kremser Donaufestival said in an Interview that inspired this text: “Das Kochen im eigenen Saft tut nur ganz wenigen Gerichten gut”)  and it is great that we are able to cook many Süppchen at the same time and see how they match. Mo(o)izeit!

M.S.

Money and time is running through our fingers and this can only mean one thing: we are getting there! We are excited like a bag full of hamsters and can’t wait for September 17 when WeAreNotSisi will receive guests for the first time in the Vondelbunker. The program for the three weeks will be live soon, as well as the posters and other goodies that help to spread the word. For now we answered some FAQs about WeAreNotSisi. Check it out.

1) What is WeAreNotSisi?
It is an exhibition-project in the Vondelbunker in Amsterdam. It lasts three weeks and
in those three weeks works of art will be shown from 25 artists who live and work in Austria. As the Vondelbunker is small and because the programm of the venue goes on, the exhibition is a rotating one.

2) What is a „rotating exhibition“?
It means that each individual work of art will not be public in the bunker all the time and will not be at the same spot all the time. Some works move within the Vondelbunker, some develop while the exhibition is on, some will only be seen for a very short period of time. There will be a thorough documentation of these changes that will be visible on the website www.wearenotsisi.com.

3) What kind of art can I expect?
Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Performance, Design, Computer-Art, DIY-Madness, Video and stuff not fitting in any genre really.

4) Are the artists participating students/young/old?
It is a mix. Some just finished art-acadamy and are at the beginning of their carreer, some are in the business for a couple of years now, but would still fit into the box „young artists“, some are well established artists exhibiting since 20, 30, sometimes even 40 years.

4) How did „WeAreNotSisi“ start?
The concept and idea for the exhibition is from Manuel Schmaranzer. He moved from Vienna to Amsterdam last year and was surprised about the picture the Dutch had about Austria – being a stage for Apres-Ski-Parties and imperial Sisi-Fairy-Tales in a flawless Sound-of-Music decor.
In addition he was surprised about the answers he himself gave on questions addressed to him, because the longer he was away from home the more those answers seemed not to fit the „real picture“. So he invited artists living in Austria to show the Dutch how they deal with the issue of „Me“ and „We“.

5) What is „WeAreNotSisi“ aiming for?
a) To provide the participating artists with the freedom and space to do what they want.
b) To establish a project that goes beyond common ideas on what „an art exhibiton“ could be.
c) To connect the independent Dutch and Austrian (art-)scenes.
d) To start a process that leads into an exhibtion in Austria in autumn 2015.
e) To provide the participating artists with the freedom and space to do what they want.