Sharing Air as a Unifying Element
Within Ornamenta’s thematic neighbourhood lnhalatorium, the worlds of Shisha and Schmuck collide in a cultural framework. By engaging in the collective act of inhaling air we aim for what unites us rather than divides us. The Black Forest air is a high-quality common good. What are new ways for different regional and visiting communities to share this accessible wealth? Shisha smoking, also called narghile, water pipe, hookah, or hubble bubble smoking, originates from the Middle East and areas of Asia. New generations in Europe master the art of pipe smoking like no other. Meanwhile, museums and cultural institutions aim to resonate with a more diverse audience. We witnessed their attempts to decolonize collections and democratise exhibition-making.
On the third floor of Ornamenta’s prologue exhibition inside project space A.K.T.; in Pforzheim, artist Minne Kersten installs a room filling sculpture as a preview to autonomous perspectives on sharing air in the context of ORNAMENTA 2024. It is an immersive work that revolves around evaporation and can be interpreted as fictional architecture. A rectangular block made of water damaged panels and rusted air conditioning units is accessible from one side. Inside, a video portrays an unpredictable body of water whose shifting and uncontrollable state seems to have prevented a disaster from being averted.
Opening: September 6, 2023 at 6pm
Exhibition:
September 8 - October 8
Fri. - Sun.
10am - 8pm
