[spectre] 7th Werkleitz Biennale HAPPY BELIEVERS 6-10 Sept 2006, Halle/D

[Andreas Broeckmann]

Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2006 18:27:10 +0200
From: biennale06 <biennale06 at werkleitz.de>
Subject: <nettime-ann> Press Release 7th Werkleitz Biennale HAPPY
	BELIEVERS

*7th Werkleitz Biennale HAPPY BELIEVERS
6th-10th September 2006 in the Volkspark Halle (Saale)
*
Press Release No. 4, 25th July 2006

The biggest media arts festival in East Germany, also known as the
'Documenta of East Germany', will once again take place in premises of
the Volkspark Halle (Saale). From 6th to 10th September the Werkleitz
Biennale will present approximately 100 international contributions of
contemporary art and culture. The biennial features an exhibition with
30 art works, 13 film programmes with a total of 56 films, performances,
lectures, roundtables and DJ-events.

Throughout the last decade the general interest in religiosity and
religious phenomena has increased. The 7th Werkleitz Biennale entitled
"Happy Believers" takes a close look at the role of belief and religion
in present day society."What do we believe in?" and "Why do we believe?"
are the central questions guiding the production of the art works. These
investigations go beyond an understanding of belief in a strictly
religious sense.Visitors of the Church Congress, Zen-Buddhists, football
fans, brand fetichists and hobby astrologists - they all have their own
belief.

It seems that a new longing for meaning and wholeness develops alongside
the ongoing process of individualisation and globalisation.
Characteristic for 'patchwork religion' is that people create their own
belief systems from different sources: happy believers.Whereas, the
media often stages events using religion for political and economic
purpuses. The art works presented at the 7th Werkleitz Biennale approach
this complex field from different artistic view points: some art work
investigate the fascination with belief and highlight the moments of
happiness it gives people, while other art works critically examine the
ways religion is instrumentalised. Art works specifically produced for
the biennial deal with specific local forms of belief in a Federal State
known for its a-religiosity, Saxony-Anhalt.

Many of the participating artists will be present during the festival.
Thus, the biennial once again provides a space for intensive exchange
between artists, culture producers and the general public.

The 7th Werkleitz Biennale is curated by Anke Hoffmann, Solvej Helweg
Ovesen, Angelika Richter and Jan Schuijren.

For the programme and a list of the participating artists, please visit
our webseite: www.werkleitz.de/happy_believers

***

*Press Conference - Please note
*
The press conference will take place at the 6th of September, 2 pm in
the Volkspark, Weinecksaal. Thereafter, the curators want to invite the
participants on a guided tour through the exhibition. The organisers and
participating artists will also be available for interviews. Until 7 pm,
the official opening of the biennial, journalists have the opportunity
to view films from the film programmes or to work in the press lounge.

*Contact person*

If you have any further questions, need foto material or want to arrange
an interview with the curators of the 7th Werkleitz Biennale, please do
not hesitate to contact:

Hanna Keller
phone: +49 (0)30 69 53 12 53
mobile: +49 (0)176 24 09 36 57
biennale06 at werkleitz.de

In case you are not interested in further information, please answer
this mail with the subject "unsubscribe".

The 7th Werkleitz Biennale is funded by:
Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt, Lotto Toto GmbH, Stiftung Kunstfonds
Additional funds and sponsoring by:
Kunststiftung Sachsen-Anhalt, Mitteldeutsche Medienf–rderung GmbH, Stadt
Halle (Saale), IASPIS, British Council, Burg Giebichenstein - Hochschule
f¸r Kunst und Design Halle, Hochschule Anhalt Fachbereich Design,
K–niglich Niederl”ndische Botschaft in Berlin



Image Hans Hemmert
Hans Hemmert: Dom zu Speyer by Louis Vuitton Melletier,
2006, Paper




--
hanna keller
presse- und –ffentlichkeitsarbeit
fon: +49 (0)30 69531253
mobil: +49 (0)176 24093657
biennale06 at werkleitz.de
www.werkleitz.de