BcmA invites you to the opening of the group exhibition “Sockel”.
When:
The opening is Monday the 14th of October from 6 pm – 10 pm.
The exhibition runs from October 14th to October 26th, 2024.
Where:
BcmA Gallery, Audre-Lorde-Str. 78, 10997 Berlin / September 9, 2024
Anat Homm
Annika Horn
Emma Zimmermann
Emanual Strauss
Helen Vogelsang
Jonas Heyn
Media Esfarjani
Oskar Partanen
Selou Sowe
Seunghoon Baek
Annika Horn
Emma Zimmermann
Emanual Strauss
Helen Vogelsang
Jonas Heyn
Media Esfarjani
Oskar Partanen
Selou Sowe
Seunghoon Baek
Sockel
The exhibition Sockel places an unusual premise at its center: all participating artists were provided with the same sculptural foundation—a pedestal made of OSB boards, measuring 105 m x 30 × 30 cm. This defined constraint serves as the starting point for an experimental and open-ended exhibition concept, exploring how the artists respond to this restriction. How will the pedestal be perceived? Will it be used simply as a display stand, seen as a disruptive element, or perhaps even transformed into a sculpture itself?
Traditionally, the pedestal is an essential component for sculptures, both literally and figuratively, elevating the work and presenting it to the audience in a particular framing. In Sockel, however, this relationship is reversed: the pedestal exists before the artworks, always the same, prominent, and, unlike usual neutral tones, made of raw, visibly textured wood. The artists must engage with this fixed element. This is where the experimental appeal of the exhibition lies: What strategies will the artists employ? Will they present their work in the usual way? Will the pedestal be destroyed, transformed, or disregarded?
The exhibition takes inspiration from Jacques Tati’s film Playtime (1967), which depicts a rigid, futuristic world filled with standardized offices and linear architectural structures. In this setting, a tension arises between individuals and the imposed environment—a dynamic that is mirrored in the exhibition. Like the characters in Tati’s film, the artists react to the rigid structure of the pedestal: a clearly defined yet challenging framework that invites both creativity and subversion. Sockel becomes particularly interesting in the context of today’s art market. In a time when art and creativity are produced on a massive scale and the market is saturated with artists—currently, 39,804 individuals are registered in the visual arts sector in Germany alone—it is increasingly difficult to create enduring works.
The pedestal in this exhibition symbolizes the growing demands and constraints of the art market: artists are required to navigate not only their craft but also the realms of marketing, public perception, and social skills. The Sockel exhibition offers us the chance to observe how young, emerging artists respond to these conditions, and it encourages us to reflect on finding new ways forward. The exhibition features works by selected artists from the sculpture department of the Berlin University of the Arts, whose outstanding work stood out during the Rundgang.
Curated by Jay Gard, Sockel presents a relaxed, experimental platform, allowing artists to explore the boundaries between structure and freedom, taking unexpected and creative paths in the process.
