„House of Constructs“ suggests combining architectural elements and artistic expression. Can you elaborate on the concept behind this exhibition and how it manifests in your work?
„House of Constructs“ embodies my general approach to creating, rooted in engaging with the context I’m working in and using my surroundings to create works that invite and reflect engagement possibilities. Drawing has always been my starting point, aiding me in articulating complex narratives. I’m curious about the intricate relationship between physical spaces and their symbolic meanings, suggesting how space is arranged profoundly influences human behavior. By transforming physical spaces into systems of significance, I initiate a dialogue about how individuals interact with their surroundings, thereby examining the structure and dynamics of social spaces.
Tell us about the collaboration with the choreographer Karin Pauer and the curator Lisa Ortner-Kreil and how this is reflected in the program.
When I approached Kunstforum with an ongoing and performative exhibition, I knew I needed someone with the expertise to bring in-depth choreographic knowledge and ideas to the project. Having collaborated with Karin Pauer on various projects in the past, where we created scenarios in which we merged our practices, it made perfect sense to invite her to „House of Constructs.“ Karin’s work is remarkable in responding to given infrastructures with what she calls the „ambiguous thinking body in motion.“ She can support me in my attempt to bring three-dimensionality and emotional depth to my oftentimes conceptual ideas, crafting human encounters and connections between viewers and performers. It is something that has always been part of my own practice, but her perspective offers a much wider range of possibilities. Regarding Lisa Ortner-Kreil, her role is crucial in this project, which challenges the whole infrastructure of the institution. Lisa acts as a vital mediator between an institution that is more traditionally structured and an artist like me who enjoys pushing boundaries and turning conventional ideas upside down. Her role involves continuously negotiating between what is and what could be, exploring the limitations we encounter within the institution.
A project like this can only be realized through mutual trust and a bit of bravery. And she brought both to the table.
Your exhibition invites viewers to explore the intersection of physical space and artistic imagination. What was the aim of creating this experience?
My aim with „House of Constructs“ is to create a dynamic space that encourages active engagement and critical reflection on institutional structures. This project delves into labor practices and challenges societal and artistic norms, emphasizing collaboration and process over static displays. I find it crucial to question the status quo of any given societal institution, and I hope to provide some tools with my work for people to engage with this practice of critical thinking.
Participation in your program, “Nineteen Museum,” is required. How do you think of participation and its importance in today’s art world?
With the work „Nineteen Museums,“ I propose a different process-oriented scenario for each day of the exhibition. Collaborating with Karin Pauer, visual artists, choirs, performers, musicians, museum guards, and Kunstforum staff, we explore the multifaceted potential of the exhibition space. The main hall of the institution transforms daily through instruction-based interventions, proposing nineteen alternative museums. Workshops, performances, discussions, and encounters turn the space into an arena of human interaction.
With this work, I propose a scenario that is dynamic and alive but also fragile, imperfect, and unfinished, where everyone is given the possibility and choice to participate, challenging traditional exhibition formats. I believe participation is vital, not only in the art world but also as citizens and human beings. It’s crucial to remain awake, challenge norms, and engage in dialogue, especially in these times.
The title „House of Constructs“ evokes notions of construction and deconstruction. How does your exhibition challenge traditional perceptions of space and encourage viewers to reconsider their spatial environment?
The term „construct“ in „House of Constructs“ refers to both something in the process of being built and an abstract concept that exists in the subjective imagination of each viewer. Architecture imposes certain constraints in any given context or museum. While some of my works involve physically shifting the spatial environment, this exhibition does so metaphorically. By altering the institution’s modus operandi’ and the familiar behavior settings of a museum, I invite viewers to imagine alternatives. In this way, „House of Constructs“ challenges traditional perceptions of space by inviting viewers to reconsider their expectations about what an exhibition is supposed to be and to rethink their spatial environment. It encourages them to think beyond the given architecture and explore the possibilities of how spaces can be experienced and interacted with.
Can you try to answer the question: What is an exhibition space today, and how do we use it?
I’m not sure what it is today, but for me, the ideal exhibition space shouldn’t create boundaries. It should be a welcoming place, not elitist, fostering discourse and dialogue that is inclusive and far-reaching. In this space, art would emerge from collaboration, from listening to one another, and from genuinely caring about each other and the society and environments we collectively shape and transform. In my perspective, an exhibition space should be a place where creativity and engagement thrive, driven by a shared sense of community and purpose.
What do you hope audiences will take away from experiencing „House of Constructs,“ and how do you see your work contributing to the larger discourse surrounding the contemporary art scene here in Vienna but also abroad as well as spatial aesthetics?
I hope „House of Constructs“ prompts viewers to reconsider their role within exhibition spaces and societal constructs overall. I don’t claim to know the impact of my work. I do what my brain is wired to do. I have this drive to do what I do, and I don’t know any other way of doing it. It comes from my character, which deals with life’s challenges and difficulties through humor and has a deeply imprinted way of questioning and challenging things. I always used drawing as a tool to communicate ideas or to reflect upon the world around me, and this helped me connect with places and people. I don’t have a calculated plan behind my actions. In my work, I remain committed to questioning and challenging norms, contributing to ongoing dialogues on spatial aesthetics and institutional critique. Through my art, I aim to prompt viewers to engage critically with their surroundings and, in the best case, have a meaningful experience.
About the exhibition: „House of Constructs“ by Aldo Giannotti reimagines institutional structures, challenging conventional aspects such as opening hours, ticketing, and the role of the museum staff itself. The project invites visitors to engage with artistic processes on their terms, emphasizing collaborative, repetitive, and accumulative practices that blend art and labor. The dramaturgy of the exhibition proposes different layers of temporality; from performances with a three-week arch to ones that work with a one-minute loop, various time experiences can be explored. This turns the exhibition into an evolving, transforming process, as opposed to one that is completed on the opening day. The exhibition features choreographic practices, labor tools, and materials like scaffolding and stage elements, creating a space for shared vision and exploration.
Incorporating sound and social sculptures and involving museum guards in the performative process, „House of Constructs“ blurs the lines between artists, institutional staff, and visitors. At its core, the exhibition probes the role of contemporary institutions, promoting them as arenas for human interaction and new forms of community.
Aldo Giannotti, a visual artist hailing from Genova, Italy, and now based in Vienna, is known for his nuanced exploration of the intersection between drawing and spatial dynamics. His practice delves into the intricate interplay of socio-architectural, socio-cultural, and socio-political forces, utilizing drawing as his primary medium to articulate complex narratives. Renowned for his site-specific interventions, Giannotti collaborates closely with art institutions, leveraging historical and architectural contexts to challenge traditional spatial and institutional norms. His continuously challenging cultural norms and his practice not only create new possibilities but also redefine the relationship between art, architecture, and societal norms, establishing him as a pivotal voice in contemporary cultural discourse. www.aldogiannotti.com, www.instagram.com/aldogiannotti
Exhibition: Aldo Giannotti: House Of Constructs in in collaboration with Karin Pauer
Opening day: 12.06.2024
Exhibition duration: 13.06.2024–30.06.2024
Address and contact:
Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien
Freyung 8, 1010 Wien
www.kunstforumwien.at
Concept, artistic direction: Aldo Giannotti
Artistic direction, choreography: Karin Pauer
Curator: Lisa Ortner-Kreil
Performers: Fabio Balestra, Ingrid Brunecová, Remo Cocco, Thomas Gallhuber, Fatrin Krajka, Hugo Le Brigand, Anna Mendelssohn, Paolo Monti/the starpillow, Jonas Nielsen, Arttu Palmio, Karin Pauer, Tommaso Pioli, Frans Poelstra, Lena Schattenberg, Camilla Shielin, and Alex Franz Zehetbauer
Performance museum supervisors: Atanas Atansov, Miriam Bartkova, Tereza Gazovikova, Dieter Hörwarthner, Maximilian Kratochwill, Nika Leskovsek, Laura Naldini, Louise Omland, Hristina Tsoneva, and Bori Varkonyi
Collaboration NINETEEN MUSEUMS: Carolina Cappelli, Pierluca Coiro, Construction Choir Collective, Stefan Frankenberger, Peter Fritzenwallner, Kurier, Anna Mendelssohn, Paolo Monti/the starpillow, Anna Maria Nowak, Arttu Palmio, Peter Sandbichler, Viktor Schaider, Soho in Ottakring
Production management: mollusca productions
A co-production of Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien and Kunstverein ARGO together with brut Wien. With the support of the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna and the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Public Service, and Sport.
