Exhibitions: M. Cartarescu/E. Baudoin, K. Haring, S.P. Hong

Mircea Cartarescu / Edmond Baudoin
Travesti

Mircea Cartarescu’s novel »Travesti« – already published in 1994 – is a study of coincidences, exploring the dark side of the human psyche and sexuality; a story of childhood traumas and adolescent initiation rites. In Septmber a comic reworking of »Travesti« was published in France, illustrated by Edmond Baudoin, one of the masters of the genre. On this occasion, the Akademie shows the original drawings.

In his unmistakable style, which lies somewhere between Baroque and abstraction, Edmond Baudoin (born in Nice in 1942) commands a special position in French comic culture. His works have often been distinguished, for example at the »Festival International de la Bande Dessinée« in Angoulème.

Mircea Cartarescu (*1956 in Bucharest, Romania) is a novelist, essayist and literary critic. As one of Romania’s leading authors, his works have been translated into several languages and have won international prizes. He was a guest fellow at the Akademie in 2006/07.

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Kristen Haring
Verstrickt Vermittelt (Transknit)

Communication depends upon complicated conventions. Without broad agreement on meanings and writing methods, language fails to be shared and becomes a kind of code. “Verstrickt Vermittelt” provokes questions about the cultural and technical processes of communication.

Kristen Haring exploits the underlying binary structures of Morse code and of knitting – where endless patterns are created by combining just two types of stitches – to bring together practices usually separated as masculine versus feminine, technical versus craft. Texts translated into Morse code are hand-knit into textiles in a way that, with patience, messages can be read from the texture of the knitting. “Verstrickt Vermittelt” challenges notions of readability and shows how communication barriers raise suspicions about information kept secret.

Kristen Haring studied mathematic and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in scientific history. She deals with communications technology, especially questions of identity, culture and design. Besides her scientific activities, she is also the founding director of the Keith Haring Foundation, which supports organizations for underprivileged children and people suffering from AIDs. Haring is a 2006/07 Akademie Fellow.

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Seung Pyo Hong
Unsettling Chairs II

In the second part of the series “Unsettling Chairs” Seung Pyo Hong once again visualizes hidden and underlying relationships of the user to the chairs. The exhibited prototypes offer help and services for unusual situations, but can be used as for regular seating purposes.

Seung Pyo Hong (*1971 in Seoul) earned a Bachelor and Master of Arts in visual and industrial design at the Seoul National University as well as a Master of Arts in 3D-Design at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI/USA. He works as an industrial designer in the United States and has exhibited widely in Korea, China and the USA. Seung Pyo Hong has been an Akademie fellow since January 2007.
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The exhibitions are on view from Friday, November 23 to Sunday January 13 2008. The exhibitions are closed from December 21 2007 to January 1 2008.
Hours: Tues-Thurs 10am-noon & 2–5:30pm, Fr 10am-noon & 2-4pm, Sat–Sun noon-5:30pm