PRIVACY

Private—a word from the past, or so it would seem these days. A word of hardly any relevance in an era when everything—from one’s favorite recipe to one’s current relationship status—is posted on Facebook. Exhibitionism, self-disclosure, the delight in telling stories, showing off, and voyeurism are the social strategies in today’s world—a world that has long since undergone a structural transformation of the public sphere. In contemporary art, domestic scenes and personal secrets are mirrored in photographs, Polaroids, cell phone photos, objects, installations, and films. The familiar and intimate are put in the picture. Through a consideration of numerous contemporary approaches the SCHIRN investigates the dwindling private sphere and the “publicness of the intimate.” Aiming her camera through a rear courtyard window, Merry Alpern captures blurred scenes of hurried sexual encounters; in his romantic video piece Akram Zaatari explores an online chat between two men; and Fiona Tan combines private snapshots from different countries to create large tableaux. The exhibition undertakes memorable excursions to the fragile borders between the self and the other.

ARTISTS

Ai Weiwei / Michel Auder / Merry Alpern / Evan Baden / Richard Billingham / Mike Bouchet / Stan Brakhage / Sophie Calle / Tracey Emin / Hans-Peter Feldmann / Nan Goldin / Christian Jankowski / Birgit Jürgenssen / Edgar Leciejewski / Leigh Ledare / Leo Gabin / Christian Marclay / Ryan McGinley / Jenny Michel and Michael Hoepfel / Marilyn Minter / Gabriel de la Mora / Mark Morrisroe / Laurel Nakadate / Peter Piller / Martha Rosler / Jörg Sasse / Dash Snow / Fiona Tan / Mark Wallinger / Andy Warhol / Michael Wolf / Kohei Yoshiyuki / Akram Zaatari