Ten years ago the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague, Czech Republic, launched its activities with its inaugural exhibition, Welcome to Capitalism. Today it welcomes its public to “hard times”. The Welcome to Hard Times exhibition, prepared for the DOX Centre by artist and curator Erik Kessels, is an interactive installation that transforms the gallery into a gym of anxiety.
Increasing apathy towards the “problems of the world” is one of the many issues we’re not talking about. But why don’t we care about what’s going on in the world?
A. It doesn’t affect us directly
B. We can’t do anything about it.
C. We’ve seen it all before.
Instead, we go to the gym...
In this interactive installation covering more than 600 m2, prepared for the DOX Centre by Dutch artist, curator, and designer Erik Kessels, the gallery is transformed into a gym. But it’s not a run-of-the-mill fitness centre where we go to get into shape, “tune out”, and take a break from the world around us. It’s not a place where we “finally have some time for ourselves”, our health and looks. On the contrary.
At the “Hard Times” gym, visitors can exercise, but as they do so artistic installations confront them with some major issues of today’s world. Society polarized by opinions on migration and terrorism. Populism. Media and fake news. Welcome to Hard Times.
The exhibition features the world premiere of My Love Answer Me, a project by Israeli multimedia artist Elinor Milchan, Left or Right, an interactive installation by Cuban-American artist Antuan Rodriguez curated by Marisa Caichiolo, or a set of sculptures by Slovak Artist Viktor Frešo.
The name of the exhibition references the Welcome to Capitalism! exhibition project, which the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art featured as its very first show in 2008, when it opened to the public. Today, ten years later, it welcomes visitors to “hard times” and simultaneously provides an opportunity to combine restoration of the body with healthy frustration of the spirit.
“At the Hard Times gym, visitors will have the opportunity to sweat out their obliviousness and train their conscience. After the workout they will feel invigorated, informed and perhaps even a little more aware of what is going on in the world”, says Erik Kessels.
The exhibition will be available for viewing at the DOX Centre from 18 October 2018 to 4 February 2019.
Media Contact
Jan Machonin
+420 774716814
machonin@dox.cz
Centrum současného umění DOX
Poupětova 1, 170 00, Praha 7
Exhibition partners: ZAZ10TS, Building Bridges
Partners of the DOX Centre: Prague City Hall, The Avast Foundation, Metrostav, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Premiant City Tour s.r.o.
Media partners of the DOX Centre: Hospodářské noviny, RESPEKT, Art & Antiques, Xantypa