Institut für Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Steiermark / Catrin Bolt

Private EU Border Fence


Installation

Dates
26.9.–24.10.2020

Details
Opening: 26.9., 11:00–20:00

Opening in the presence of the artist
Talk with Elisabeth Fiedler and Catrin Bolt: 16:00
Performance by JULALENA in the evening

Location
Graz

Series
Parallel Program 2020

Production specifics
Supported by Peter and Conny Gleis

In the context of steirischer herbst ’20

On classified ads websites a fence was offered as a gift for those wishing to have it erected around their own private garden. In terms of height (six meters) and design, it corresponds to the EU border fence. This project reflects on the presence of that border fence, which has been shifted from the edges of the EU into its interior—whether in our imaginations or in actuality—and envisions it as an oversized line of demarcation that one might come upon in the middle of a residential area. The borders of a given unity usually betray something about its internal structure. Securing borders and erecting more and more fences has become a fundamental task in the EU. Rather than dictating a single unambiguous interpretation, this project looks at a topical phenomenon and puts it up for discussion. As a boundary around a small domestic garden, the fence takes on monumental proportions and appears preposterous—and yet it remains unclear as to whether it is meant to be taken seriously or as a critical commentary.

Retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective