[spectre] Inauguration: Annika Eriksson's Games Machine, June 9, 3 pm, Venice (Modified by Geert Lovink) [u]

[Henrik Högberg]

Annika Eriksson´s  Games Machine
51st International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia
 
Inauguration and drink, June 9, 3 pm

Riva Degli Schiavoni, vaporetto stop Arsenale 
8-12  June, 10.00 - 22.00

For this year's Venice Biennial IASPIS presents a new site-specific 
work by the Swedish artist Annika Eriksson. During the opening days of 
the Biennial, Games Machine will be on show on the keyside outside of 
the Arsenale exhibition area. In the centre of Venice Annika Eriksson 
has placed an amusement arcade - a twelve meter long and 120 ton heavy 
glass pavilion containing computer games and pinball machines - which 
visitors are invited to use. 
 
For a significant period, Annika Eriksson has produced consequent works 
that consider the social prerequisites of a site. Her staged situations 
stimulate discussions and give the viewer access to experiences that 
are not generally aired in public. Games Machine can be understood as a 
comment on the Venice Biennial as a spectacular art event. At the same 
time it is a generous gift to the young people of the city. With Games 
Machine the youth of Venice, as well as visitors to the Biennial, will 
be given a place to hangout for a number of days. 

To coincide with the Venice Biennial, IASPIS will also launch a book on 
Annika Eriksson's practice. The publication is the first comprehensive 
presentation of Annika Eriksson's work and is published by IASPIS in 
collaboration with DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) in 
Berlin, Propexus publishing house in Lund and the publishing house 
Revolver Archiv für Aktuelle Kunst in Frankfurt. The publication is 
part of the IASPIS series In Dialogue. It includes descriptions of the 
majority of Annika Eriksson's works, an interview with Annika Eriksson 
by the art critic Jan Verwoert, as well as a text by Peio Aguirre, 
critic and curator based in San Sebastian. 

Annika Eriksson lives and works in Berlin. She has produced works for, 
among other institutions, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Kunstverein 
München, Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, São Paulo Biennial 2002 and 
Frieze Art Fair in London 2004. During 2005 she will also work on a 
project for DAAD in Berlin. 
  
Commissioned by Sara Arrhenius, Project Manager: Magdalena Malm
For more information and press images please contact Magdalena Malm: 
mm at iaspis.com or +46-708-49 13 74 .