Seinesgleichen geschieht / The like of it now happens
Excess and Sustainability
a visual research project by STARSHIP magazine, 2008
4000, Ariane Müller, Christoph Sefera, Daniel Pflumm, Diplomacy in Reflex, Deborah Schamoni, Florian Zeyfang, Gunter Reski, Hans-Christian Dany, Henrik Olesen, Judith Hopf, Klaus Weber, Martin Ebner, Michaela Eichwald, Nils Norman, Nina Rhode, Sebastian Luetgert, Simone Gilges, Stefan Dillemuth
The series of 19 posters (and a plastic bag, not on display here) is part of a visual research project by STARSHIP magazine. The research started at two terms: Excess and Sustainability, complimentary and yet integrative notions.
Excess, the waste of energy and resources, the exploitation of oneself and others is seen as part of artistic production and is told in stories and expected by the audience. To excessively exploit yourself and your resources has for a long time been the general image of artistic production. It is also an internal feeling of negativity, to not care and not take care, when being anyhow not d’accord with general value settings, may it be beauty, hotel rooms or cities.
Sustainability, as a social term, might on the individual level be transcribed into the care for oneself. It has become a leading term in the discussion of resource efficiency, of the necessity to change behavior patterns, a notion that a lifestyle, that has been excessively followed in Europe and the US might have come to an end in itself.
Based on the two notions of Excess and Sustainability, STARSHIP has invited 20 artists to a project that is mainly conceived for the public space. Each artist has produced a poster, not necessarily trying to put together the two notions but as a visual research that depicts elements within this field between caring and wasting, they relate to.