LEARNING FROM A CITY’S VOIDS
A potential journey
In the course of the documenta 14 in Athens, there was much speculation about the short and long-term effects that the temporary art spectacle could have on the city. Will crisis-induced vacancies be permanently activated or will an all the larger “hole” remain after the end of the show? And is that good or bad?
My contribution to the project, p o s t documenta, is an invitation to engage with the revaluation and devaluation of space through an allegorical reading of gaps, ruptures, and open situations in the urban fabric. Conceived as an abstract travel guide through an imaginary city, it links images that are characterized by a lack or an error in a broader sense in an associative way with terms extracted from texts and statements about the documenta. From “euphoria” to “investment” to “melancholy”, these not only testify to the controversial reception of documenta, but can also stimulate a reflection on the “terrain vague” of our cities: the diffuse spaces between and within.
Diana Artus is a Berlin-based artist and writer interested in the perception of urban space. In 2000, she received a Magister Artium Degree in German Literature and Language at University of Leipzig, and in 2007, she received a Diploma in Photography at the HGB. She participated in international exhibitions and residency programs at ISCP New York, Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, Kunsthalle Exnergasse Vienna, n.b.k. Berlin, Fabra i Coats Barcelona, La Casa Encendida Madrid, and Hectoliter Brussels, among others.