LECTURES

Dominic Eichler
08/12/2009, 19:30 hrs

MAKING EXCEPTIONS

The role-playing, falsity and fakery associated with masquerade and carnivalesque traditions create a state of exception or respite from societal norms - a temporary, performative, utopian space in which class and gender distinctions for instance, can be up for grabs - a celebration of disordering. In his lecture art writer Dominic Eichler will explore a group of works by a selection of contemporary artists that can be seen through the lens of masquerade in the sense of how they use the liberating and critical potential of pretense. Amongst them are artists who don't always represent themselves as themselves, as well as works that suggest cross-identifications and readings, joyful implausible hybrid and/or communally morphed identities or bodies, or which just simply aren't what they necessarily seem to be.

Dominic Eichler
Dominic Eichler (b.1966, Ballarat Australia) is a Berlin based art critic, artist, musician, freelance-curator and co-founder of the recently established Berlin art space ‘Silberkuppe’. He is also a contributing editor of the art magazine frieze. He commenced publishing art criticism in the mid-1990s on a freelance basis and has had reviews, essays and feature articles on contemporary artists published in numerous international art publications, books and catalogues. In 2005 he was awarded the German Kunstverein Association’s prize for art criticism. As a musician he is a cofounder of the band Dominique. Dominique released their third album ‘More Love Now’ in May (Dial/Kompakt, 2008).  His first book of poetry 'Written All Over Us' was published by Sternberg Press this year.