Art Project – 10 Years’ Black / Blue „GEACHTET – GEÄCHTET“ (respected-reviled)
2010 marks the tenth year since the first ”black-blue“ government was sworn in, in Austria. The then ÖVP party leader and Foreign Minister, Wolfgang Schüssel broke one of the biggest taboos ever in Europe. In spite of the election promises of going into opposition should they gain third place during the election of the national assembly at the end of 1999, after longwinded so called ”exploratory talks“, he made a coalition pact with the FPÖ with the then party leader, Jörg Haider.
The consequences for Austria were devastating: at home the streets were flooded with mass protests, worried citizens clearly demonstrated their message in front of Parliament at the Ballhausplatz, there were demos ever Thursday and the EU-14 set sanctions agains all Austrian diplomats: they were no longer invited to any public event. The Europeans wanted to exert the cordon sanitair made against right wing parties on Austria (e-g like Le Pen in France). The measures that the EU14 took turned into a mistake; ÖVP and FPÖ managed to stylise the EU in to being a concept of the enemy , the ranks were closed and it became an antidemocratic growth on the Alpine Republic.
To mention just one example: the then Minister of Justice, Dieter Böhmdorfer found Jörg Haider’s idea “ to oppositionally block the opposition“ as ”worthy of consideration“.
Numerous Austrians rebelled against the Government formation against the will of the voters and the anti-democratic reflex. Obviously, something from the dark side of the 20th Century had been learnt. Numerous artists initiated diverse activities and actions, not only in the capital city and the legendary Thursday demonstrations were organised. It was the birth of a new culture of political protest.
The exhibition „Geachtet –Geächtet“ provides and overview of the profusion of protests, illustrates the story of the birth of the new culture of political protest and contributes to processing the immediate Austrian contemporary history.
An ”Art – Exhibition Series“ by Artists, Institutions, Intellectuals, is to be realised in collaboration with galleries and institutions.
PROJECT organised by: Verein Mattseer Konferenz
Artists: El Awadalla, Eva Möseneder, Lisa Rosenblatt, Charlotte Eckler, August Bisinger, Elia Gurna, Sweet Susie, Monomania, Johanna Kandl, Ursula Napravnik, Botschaft der besorgten BürgerInnen, United Aliens, Volxtheater, Christoph und Lollo, Deutschbauer & Spring, Fred Baker, Martin Music,Doron Rabinovici, Marius Gabriel, Widerstandslesungen,I-Wolf, KaTSey, Stefan Weber + Sü-Vaal, Christine und Irene Hohenbüchler,Kapputtnicks,Das Halbe Quartett,Trishes,Traude Korosa, Hannes Reisinger,Dj Muadib, DJN Rosie 2 and the Systemrockers ° Ginmüll & Liko, Manni Montana,Dj Kompact , Dj Lens J,HSC (Hörspiel Crew), Ironen Zeitung, Vroni Katona, starsky, rsy, Albert, TEXTA, Sonja Tollinger, TATblatt-WiderstandsChronologie, Gerhard Ruiss, MUND, Peter Feldmann, Sven Hilberth/UTV,…
