VERENA
KYSELKA
Installations
Territory of Intimacy // Forbidden Kisses
Video installation consisting of 10 video stills, collecting box and two projections, Durations 6:00 minutes, 2008
Konzept
concept
Bei meinem Interesse, wie sich in Albanien jahrelange Fremdbestimmung, Diktatur und
Selbstisolierung auf die zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen auswirken, bin ich auf das
Kussverbot gestoßen. Es offenbart, dass die sozialistische Realität, die in den staatlich
kontrollierten und zensierten Filmen des Hoxha Regimes vorgespielt wird, keine Küsse zu
finden sind.
In meiner Recherche im Nationalen Filmarchive Albanien habe ich 25-30 albanische Filmproduktionen, in denen eine Liebesgeschichte vorkommt aus der Zeit von 1960 bis 1992 angeschaut. Die erotischen Momente eines Liebespaares beschränkten sich hier auf Blickkontakte, leichte Berührungen, kurze Umarmungen und leichte freundschaftliche Küsse. Mir ist aufgefallen, dass mehr Berührungen und sogar Küsse zwischen Männern zu finden sind, als zwischen Frau und Mann. Der so genannte „Bruderkuss“ der Freundschaft, Frieden und Solidarität widerspiegelte, kam ja auch zwischen Politikern der sozialistischen Staatengemeinschaft vor.
Um zu verdeutlichen, dass das Privatleben staatlich kontrolliert war, habe ich nicht den gesamte Filmkontext, sondern nur die Erotik, analysiert. Dazu habe ich Sequenzen von erotischen Momenten aus den Filmen herausgeschnitten und bearbeitet. Das hierfür verwendete Filmmaterial stammt aus der Zeit der Diktatur bis zur politischen Wende. Zusätzlich habe ich den letzten zugelassenen Filmkuss in „Tana“,1958, mit in einer Länge von 2,5 sek. und der mit der Schrift des Abspanns verdeckt ist als auch den ersten Filmkuss in der Wendezeit in „Vdeka e Kalit“ von 1992, der 5,8 sek.ist, einbezogen.
Die Szenen habe ich in die Rubriken eye contact, talks, fights, touches und kisses unterteilt. Der dadurch entstandene Videofilm ist einem anderen Video mit real aufgenommenen Kussszenen aus dem Stadtraum Tiranas gegenübergestellt. Dafür habe ich zwei Paare gefunden, die den Mut hatten sich vor meiner Kamera in der &Oml;ffentlichkeit zu küssen. Das Projekt wurde unterstützt von dem Nationalen Albanischen Filmarchiv, der Deutschen Botschaft in Tirana und der Kulturstiftung Thüringen.
In meiner Recherche im Nationalen Filmarchive Albanien habe ich 25-30 albanische Filmproduktionen, in denen eine Liebesgeschichte vorkommt aus der Zeit von 1960 bis 1992 angeschaut. Die erotischen Momente eines Liebespaares beschränkten sich hier auf Blickkontakte, leichte Berührungen, kurze Umarmungen und leichte freundschaftliche Küsse. Mir ist aufgefallen, dass mehr Berührungen und sogar Küsse zwischen Männern zu finden sind, als zwischen Frau und Mann. Der so genannte „Bruderkuss“ der Freundschaft, Frieden und Solidarität widerspiegelte, kam ja auch zwischen Politikern der sozialistischen Staatengemeinschaft vor.
Um zu verdeutlichen, dass das Privatleben staatlich kontrolliert war, habe ich nicht den gesamte Filmkontext, sondern nur die Erotik, analysiert. Dazu habe ich Sequenzen von erotischen Momenten aus den Filmen herausgeschnitten und bearbeitet. Das hierfür verwendete Filmmaterial stammt aus der Zeit der Diktatur bis zur politischen Wende. Zusätzlich habe ich den letzten zugelassenen Filmkuss in „Tana“,1958, mit in einer Länge von 2,5 sek. und der mit der Schrift des Abspanns verdeckt ist als auch den ersten Filmkuss in der Wendezeit in „Vdeka e Kalit“ von 1992, der 5,8 sek.ist, einbezogen.
Die Szenen habe ich in die Rubriken eye contact, talks, fights, touches und kisses unterteilt. Der dadurch entstandene Videofilm ist einem anderen Video mit real aufgenommenen Kussszenen aus dem Stadtraum Tiranas gegenübergestellt. Dafür habe ich zwei Paare gefunden, die den Mut hatten sich vor meiner Kamera in der &Oml;ffentlichkeit zu küssen. Das Projekt wurde unterstützt von dem Nationalen Albanischen Filmarchiv, der Deutschen Botschaft in Tirana und der Kulturstiftung Thüringen.
What impact has a long-time heteronomy, dictatorship and self-isolation to the interpersonal
relations in Albania? An example is the ban of kissing. It became obvious that there are
no kisses in the socialist reality, a reflection, I think, coming from the state controlled and
censored movies of the Hoxha regime. During my research at the National Film archive
Tirana I watched between 25-30 Albanian movie productions from 1960-1992, which
included a love story. The erotic or close moments between lovers were limited to eye
contacts, soft touches, brief hugs and friendly kisses. I also noticed that there were even
more touches and kisses between men than between women and men. By the way, the so
called “brother kiss” of friendship, peace and solidarity also happened between politicians of
the socialist community of states.
To make clear the point that also the privacy was under state control, I didn’t analyzed the entire film context, only the erotic parts. That’s why I have cut out these sequences and reviewed them after. The material used comes originally from movies of the time of dictatorship until the political turn. Additionally I have involved the last kiss in the film “Tana” (1958) with a length of only 2,5 seconds and covered by the letters of the final credits, and the first kiss in “Vdeka e Kalit” (1992) with 5,8 seconds of duration.
I subdivided the scenes in the following categories: eye contact, talks, fights, touches and kisses. After that process the resultant video film was compared with another movie with actual recorded kiss scenes from the city space of Tirana. For that special shooting I found two couples which were encouraged enough to kiss in public in front of my camera. The recollections of the visitors of their first and last kisses are collected in a box. The project was supported by the Albanian film archive, the German Embassy Tirana and the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Thuringia.
To make clear the point that also the privacy was under state control, I didn’t analyzed the entire film context, only the erotic parts. That’s why I have cut out these sequences and reviewed them after. The material used comes originally from movies of the time of dictatorship until the political turn. Additionally I have involved the last kiss in the film “Tana” (1958) with a length of only 2,5 seconds and covered by the letters of the final credits, and the first kiss in “Vdeka e Kalit” (1992) with 5,8 seconds of duration.
I subdivided the scenes in the following categories: eye contact, talks, fights, touches and kisses. After that process the resultant video film was compared with another movie with actual recorded kiss scenes from the city space of Tirana. For that special shooting I found two couples which were encouraged enough to kiss in public in front of my camera. The recollections of the visitors of their first and last kisses are collected in a box. The project was supported by the Albanian film archive, the German Embassy Tirana and the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Thuringia.
An Artist is an Enemy
60 reasons why an active artist can be taken into custody in a dictatorship as a political prisoner
Installation with 60 c-prints in the former jail of political prisoners in Lyudao/Green Island, Taiwan, 2007
Konzept
concept
Test
test
Has my letter arrived
installation in the former remand prison of the East German Secret Service in Erfurt include video monitor, table lamp and letter, 2005
Konzept
concept
Mein Vater war 54 Jahre alt und amtierender Klinikdirektor und Professor der
Orthopädie als er am 4. Oktober 1976 verhaftet wurde. Ich war 18 und hatte gerade
die erweitere Oberschule beendet.
Kontakte zu einer Schleußergruppe, die Republikflüchtigen in präparierten Autos in den westlichen Teil Deutschlands verhalf, waren der Grund für die Verhaftung. Er hatte ebenfalls zwei Frauen zur Flucht verholfen. Im DDR-Deutsch hieß das Republikflucht, staatsfeindliche Beziehungen und Menschenhandel. Hier, in der ehemaligen Untersuchungshaftanstalt war er von Oktober 1976 bis Mai 1977 eingekerkert, bevor er zu siebeneinhalb Jahren Freiheitsentzug verurteilt wurde. Wir haben in den Jahren zuvor weder viel miteinander gesprochen noch Geheimnisse ausgetauscht. Nachdem er verhaftet wurde schrieb ich ihm jeden Tag. Er wurde mein Freund, dem ich wie einem Tagebuch alles anvertraute. Dabei war mir gleichgültig, dass die Briefe gelesen und analysiert wurden bevor er sie bekam. Ich schrieb, um mich der tiefen Traurigkeit zu widersetzen und ihn am Leben teilhaben zu lassen. Ich beschrieb jede Veränderung in der Natur, wie den Wechsel der Jahreszeiten, den Duft von Pflanzen und das Rascheln des Windes in Bäumen. Er durfte nur einmal im Monat eine Seite schreiben. Dadurch war es ihm nicht möglich, auf alle meine Briefe zu antworten. Innerhalb der abgesteckten Grenzen der DDR reiste ich kreuz und quer und suchte nach Abenteuern, die ich ihm berichten konnte. Aber ich fühlte, dass dies nicht genug war. Also erfand ich Geschichten, so wie mein Vater früher welche für mich erfand. In einem der Briefe in die Untersuchungshaft schrieb ich, dass ich für ihn einen Drachen bauen werde. Ebenso wie mein Vater empfand ich eine ungestillte Sehnsucht nach der Ferne, um nicht mit der realen Welt und dem Leben vor Ort konfrontiert zu werden. Ein Drachen kann fliegen, wohin der Wind ihn trägt. Ich wollte ihn auf dem nahen Petersberg fliegen lassen, damit er ihn durch sein Fenster sehen konnte. Damals wusste ich nicht, dass er nicht nach draußen sehen konnte, da das Fenster mit Glasbausteinen zugemauert war. Er hat diesen Brief nie bekommen, vielmehr wurde ich wegen des Drachens verhört. Ich wurde gefragt, ob mit diesen Drachen Menschen fliegen könnten und ob es sich dabei um einen chinesischen Drachen handelt. Ich hatte keine Ahnung vom Drachenfliegen und China war sehr fern. Während des letzten Besuches im Strafvollzug gab er mir einige Briefe zurück, die ich ihm in viereinhalb Jahren geschrieben hatte. Er konnte sie nicht mitnehmen, als er in den Westen abgeschoben wurde. Ich sollte sie verwahren, sie hatten ihn am Leben erhalten. Wir haben bis zu seinem Tod nie mehr über den Gefängnisaufenthalt gesprochen.
Kontakte zu einer Schleußergruppe, die Republikflüchtigen in präparierten Autos in den westlichen Teil Deutschlands verhalf, waren der Grund für die Verhaftung. Er hatte ebenfalls zwei Frauen zur Flucht verholfen. Im DDR-Deutsch hieß das Republikflucht, staatsfeindliche Beziehungen und Menschenhandel. Hier, in der ehemaligen Untersuchungshaftanstalt war er von Oktober 1976 bis Mai 1977 eingekerkert, bevor er zu siebeneinhalb Jahren Freiheitsentzug verurteilt wurde. Wir haben in den Jahren zuvor weder viel miteinander gesprochen noch Geheimnisse ausgetauscht. Nachdem er verhaftet wurde schrieb ich ihm jeden Tag. Er wurde mein Freund, dem ich wie einem Tagebuch alles anvertraute. Dabei war mir gleichgültig, dass die Briefe gelesen und analysiert wurden bevor er sie bekam. Ich schrieb, um mich der tiefen Traurigkeit zu widersetzen und ihn am Leben teilhaben zu lassen. Ich beschrieb jede Veränderung in der Natur, wie den Wechsel der Jahreszeiten, den Duft von Pflanzen und das Rascheln des Windes in Bäumen. Er durfte nur einmal im Monat eine Seite schreiben. Dadurch war es ihm nicht möglich, auf alle meine Briefe zu antworten. Innerhalb der abgesteckten Grenzen der DDR reiste ich kreuz und quer und suchte nach Abenteuern, die ich ihm berichten konnte. Aber ich fühlte, dass dies nicht genug war. Also erfand ich Geschichten, so wie mein Vater früher welche für mich erfand. In einem der Briefe in die Untersuchungshaft schrieb ich, dass ich für ihn einen Drachen bauen werde. Ebenso wie mein Vater empfand ich eine ungestillte Sehnsucht nach der Ferne, um nicht mit der realen Welt und dem Leben vor Ort konfrontiert zu werden. Ein Drachen kann fliegen, wohin der Wind ihn trägt. Ich wollte ihn auf dem nahen Petersberg fliegen lassen, damit er ihn durch sein Fenster sehen konnte. Damals wusste ich nicht, dass er nicht nach draußen sehen konnte, da das Fenster mit Glasbausteinen zugemauert war. Er hat diesen Brief nie bekommen, vielmehr wurde ich wegen des Drachens verhört. Ich wurde gefragt, ob mit diesen Drachen Menschen fliegen könnten und ob es sich dabei um einen chinesischen Drachen handelt. Ich hatte keine Ahnung vom Drachenfliegen und China war sehr fern. Während des letzten Besuches im Strafvollzug gab er mir einige Briefe zurück, die ich ihm in viereinhalb Jahren geschrieben hatte. Er konnte sie nicht mitnehmen, als er in den Westen abgeschoben wurde. Ich sollte sie verwahren, sie hatten ihn am Leben erhalten. Wir haben bis zu seinem Tod nie mehr über den Gefängnisaufenthalt gesprochen.
My father was 54 years old, director of a hospital and professor of orthopaedics when he was
arrested on 4th October 1976. I was 16 and had just matriculated from secondary school.
The grounds for the arrest were contact with a group of smugglers who helped people escape to West Germany in specially prepared cars. He had also helped two women to escape. (In the special German used by the communist authorities, the charge was Fleeing the Republic, relationships treacherous to the State and human trafficking). He was locked up here in this former pre-trial prison and interrogation centre from October 1976 to May 1977, eventually he was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment.
In the preceding years we had hardly spoken much to each other nor had we exchanged secrets. After he had been arrested I wrote to him every day. He became my friend to whom I confided everything just like a diary. It did not matter to me that the letters would be read and analysed before he received them. I wrote to suppress my own deep sadness and so that he could be a participant in life outside. I described every change in nature, the progression of the seasons, the scent of the plants, and the wind rustling in the trees. He was only allowed to write one page a month so it was not possible for him to respond to all of my letters.
I travelled far and wide within the fences marking the East German borders in search of adventures that I could relate to him. But I felt that even that was not enough so I invented stories like those my father had invented for me long before.
In one of the letters sent to the interrogation centre I wrote that I would make a kite for him. Just like my father, I had an unquenched desire for distance, so as to avoid confronting the reality of where I lived. A kite can fly where the wind blows it. I wanted to fly it from the Petersberg, a neighbouring hill, so that he could see it through his window. At that time I did not know that he could not see out, because the window holes were walled up with opaque glass-bricks. He never received that letter. Furthermore I was interrogated about the kite. I was asked whether this kite could carry a person and whether it was a Chinese kite. I had no idea about kites that could carry people, nor about what a Chinese kite was.
During the final visit to him in prison he gave me back some of the letters that I had written to him over the four and a half year period. He was not allowed to take them with him because he was being deported to the West. I should look after them carefully for they had kept him alive.
We never spoke about his time in prison again until the day he died.
The grounds for the arrest were contact with a group of smugglers who helped people escape to West Germany in specially prepared cars. He had also helped two women to escape. (In the special German used by the communist authorities, the charge was Fleeing the Republic, relationships treacherous to the State and human trafficking). He was locked up here in this former pre-trial prison and interrogation centre from October 1976 to May 1977, eventually he was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment.
In the preceding years we had hardly spoken much to each other nor had we exchanged secrets. After he had been arrested I wrote to him every day. He became my friend to whom I confided everything just like a diary. It did not matter to me that the letters would be read and analysed before he received them. I wrote to suppress my own deep sadness and so that he could be a participant in life outside. I described every change in nature, the progression of the seasons, the scent of the plants, and the wind rustling in the trees. He was only allowed to write one page a month so it was not possible for him to respond to all of my letters.
I travelled far and wide within the fences marking the East German borders in search of adventures that I could relate to him. But I felt that even that was not enough so I invented stories like those my father had invented for me long before.
In one of the letters sent to the interrogation centre I wrote that I would make a kite for him. Just like my father, I had an unquenched desire for distance, so as to avoid confronting the reality of where I lived. A kite can fly where the wind blows it. I wanted to fly it from the Petersberg, a neighbouring hill, so that he could see it through his window. At that time I did not know that he could not see out, because the window holes were walled up with opaque glass-bricks. He never received that letter. Furthermore I was interrogated about the kite. I was asked whether this kite could carry a person and whether it was a Chinese kite. I had no idea about kites that could carry people, nor about what a Chinese kite was.
During the final visit to him in prison he gave me back some of the letters that I had written to him over the four and a half year period. He was not allowed to take them with him because he was being deported to the West. I should look after them carefully for they had kept him alive.
We never spoke about his time in prison again until the day he died.
Falling Angles
Temporary slide installation including three endless changing projections on the façade of St. George\'s Tower in Erfurt; 1999
Konzept
concept
Test
test
Migration Of Soul Animal
lide installation, endless changing projection on a sheepskin, 1,00 x 1,30 m, 2002
Konzept
concept
Test
...I carved and drew the form of animals on the slides showing a snow-covered Northern European landscape
with occasional human traces. I wanted to establish a relationship between the walk of man into the
loneliness of nature and the paths of animals that have lived there for millenniums.
The Women Class
video installation consisting of 20 hand-loom frames / stretched with wool, animation movie,
DVD running time 3,32 min, colour DV-Pal 16:9, sound 2009
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Konzept
concept
Test
When Walter Gropius founded in 1919 the Bauhaus institute he proclaimed a new work program.
The statute corresponded to a new type of progressive policy, which expressed an interest in
the involvement of women at universities and art academies. This idea was explained in one specific
article as follows:
"It will be accepted each honest person regardless of age and sex. Her educational background needs to be considered as appropriate from the Bauhaus Board of Masters."
The Bauhaus concept contained the idea of connecting craftsmanship with art and filled a lot of young women with such an enthusiasm that they applied in masses for a registration, whereas men get registered gradually, because they came back only slowly from the 1st World War. The high women proportion alarmed the council of masters, they had difficulty breaking down the prejudice, that art creating women keep themselves busy with handicraft for time filling. Furthermore the insistence on male-defined notion of craftwork also reduced the number of female students, who were regarded by Gropius as contributing an amateurish atmosphere to the school. The Bauhaus institution struggled in his aims against dilettantism in craftsmanship. Very soon Walter Gropius suggested that the number of female students should be limited to about one-third of the student body and that they should not be allowed to outnumber men, as they had done in the beginning. Therefore the female Bauhaus students weren't accepted for many courses. Women were given preference in weaving, whereas the male students could choose all workshops in the Bauhaus institution.
In 1920 the "Women's Class" was founded and interconnected with the weaving workshop. Behind the set up of this course was the hidden idea to keep all female students in distance from all other work subjects. Many female students were forced to the weaving workshop from the council of masters. To withstand this intention and join even other Bauhaus work areas a lot of female self-confidence and the fact that they had to be better in their work than men were needed.
The weaving workshop with its "Women's Class" offered as only female defined work area the respective justification for the leadership by the female master Gunta Stölzl, the only woman between the male Bauhaus masters. This sphere soon became one of the most productive workshops and had even commercial success. But the most Bauhaus women in comparison to their male colleagues kept unknown. Some of the "Women's Course" female artists extended other handcraft areas and made their marks at a later date.
In the theory of the Bauhaus artist Jonannes Itten the circle and the colour blue are corresponding to the female whereas the square and the colour red are relating to the male.
Installation
In the hand painted animation movie this symbolic will be used and positioned in the context of the gender conflict. The looms refer to the Women's Course. The blue circles are continuing in the blue wool balls. The wool is connected with the looms or hangs between the looms, arranged in a row, as single ragged pins. The wool pins symbolize the life routes of each of the female Bauhaus artists from the former Women's Class.
"It will be accepted each honest person regardless of age and sex. Her educational background needs to be considered as appropriate from the Bauhaus Board of Masters."
The Bauhaus concept contained the idea of connecting craftsmanship with art and filled a lot of young women with such an enthusiasm that they applied in masses for a registration, whereas men get registered gradually, because they came back only slowly from the 1st World War. The high women proportion alarmed the council of masters, they had difficulty breaking down the prejudice, that art creating women keep themselves busy with handicraft for time filling. Furthermore the insistence on male-defined notion of craftwork also reduced the number of female students, who were regarded by Gropius as contributing an amateurish atmosphere to the school. The Bauhaus institution struggled in his aims against dilettantism in craftsmanship. Very soon Walter Gropius suggested that the number of female students should be limited to about one-third of the student body and that they should not be allowed to outnumber men, as they had done in the beginning. Therefore the female Bauhaus students weren't accepted for many courses. Women were given preference in weaving, whereas the male students could choose all workshops in the Bauhaus institution.
In 1920 the "Women's Class" was founded and interconnected with the weaving workshop. Behind the set up of this course was the hidden idea to keep all female students in distance from all other work subjects. Many female students were forced to the weaving workshop from the council of masters. To withstand this intention and join even other Bauhaus work areas a lot of female self-confidence and the fact that they had to be better in their work than men were needed.
The weaving workshop with its "Women's Class" offered as only female defined work area the respective justification for the leadership by the female master Gunta Stölzl, the only woman between the male Bauhaus masters. This sphere soon became one of the most productive workshops and had even commercial success. But the most Bauhaus women in comparison to their male colleagues kept unknown. Some of the "Women's Course" female artists extended other handcraft areas and made their marks at a later date.
In the theory of the Bauhaus artist Jonannes Itten the circle and the colour blue are corresponding to the female whereas the square and the colour red are relating to the male.
Installation
In the hand painted animation movie this symbolic will be used and positioned in the context of the gender conflict. The looms refer to the Women's Course. The blue circles are continuing in the blue wool balls. The wool is connected with the looms or hangs between the looms, arranged in a row, as single ragged pins. The wool pins symbolize the life routes of each of the female Bauhaus artists from the former Women's Class.
Handbags
Installation including slide and video projection and plaster handbags,
different handbag about 20 x 30 cm, video projection 1,50 x 2,00 m, 2000/2006
Konzept
concept
Test
...plaster casts (full casts) using the form of different old handbags. The handbag objects stand on a
pedestal each. On one of the handbags, a slide projection shows possible contents reflecting a piece of
memory, supposed treasures, a period of life, everyday life, habits of the woman carrying or owning it.
These are bank notes in a savings stocking, lace gloves, lap dogs, revolvers, photos in gold frames,
prostheses, recipes, a rosary...
In the video projection, the handbags are carried through streets and various outside places. The contents changes in parallel with the outside places. The bag is carried by the thought of what objects are so indispensable for living and surviving that a woman has to carry them with her all the time. The bag is swinging with the woman carrying it.
In the video projection, the handbags are carried through streets and various outside places. The contents changes in parallel with the outside places. The bag is carried by the thought of what objects are so indispensable for living and surviving that a woman has to carry them with her all the time. The bag is swinging with the woman carrying it.
Relationships
installation, Chinese symbol of marriage and happiness, cardboard, tights, HIAW, Hualien (Taiwan) 2006
Konzept
concept
Test
test
Growing Dinner
installation, several growing seeds, tablecloth, 1,30 x 3,60 m, Hualien (Taiwan) 2006
different eatable seeds and germs from Taiwan and Europe are planted together in the
shape of Taiwanese flowers and crockery
Konzept
concept
Test
test
Territory of Intimacy // Forbidden Kisses
Has my letter arrived
An Artist Is An Enemy
Falling Angles
Migration Of Soul Animals
The Women Class
Handbags
Relationships
Growing Dinner