Susanne Bartsch: Comeback, 2007,
26.04. - 18.05.2007 EINSTELLUNGSRAUM e.V.


What kind of pedestals are these, what are they for and what do they remind of? This is what one could ask oneself when viewing the room and likely did ask oneselves at other exhibitions here.
As soon as right now when the plant pots are on them this question becomes obsolet. Because s.b. has reconstructed the flower store that used to be here and those pedestals were part of it. S.b. also spoke to the previous owner and carried out some other returning constructions. The mirror left next to the window had been waiting a few years behind the wall for its chance and now unexpectedly - but fitting with the year subject of the EINSTELLUNGSRAUM which is 'SCHEIN' (for explanatory words in regards of "Schein' please refer to previous texts from this year) - comes to light.
 
Retail supporting constructions tend to make themselves invisible as soon as the goods are on/in it, particularly if these are fitting constructions. With this combination of thing and presentation help for the thing it is like how the ceremony is related to the room where it is happening. The ceremony unfolds glamourosly in the fitting room, one can think of a mass taking place in a dome for example. When ceremony and room, or retail supporting object and goods, or also art and frame do not fit - with or without intent - a joke is produced: so when one would see cut meat on those pedestals now and not cut flowers. Or when a ladys' get-together is taking place in a furnace company or when a small pencil drawing is presented in a massive gold frame.

Decorative tiles of wanted roughness are the ideal frame for retailing cut flowers. And it was cut flowers which were offered for sale on this tile bench for 75 years, the store was a family business and behind this wall there is still the door through which one reached the private rooms of the family.
Susanne Bartsch leaves this wall ledge to become again what is was designed for -  a flower bench to reach the goods easier. These pedestals remind somewhat of the fences and small walls of the paradise gardens. From middle ages paintings of such gardens one is familiar with these small walls - far too small to keep someone from raving the garden. As a frame for the idyl of flower arrangements which with a strong wall would no longer be something like that the small walls are ideal and so have there influence into the store design of  the 20th century.

The mental picture that is maintained with that is the hortus conclusus. A pictoral motive which plays a special role in Mary symbolism in a way that the flowers in the little paradise gardens do not present themselves as flowers but especially as informants.

A situation that can be identified as a generell problem of the arts. The traditional symbolism in cultural history does occupy all occupational fields with identifiable hence informative structures, those are seemingly sense-giving and there is nothing outside this reason even though one knows about the social agreement hence the apparent - the agreed-upon, the contingent of the contents. Red roses are red roses, and one will keep on using them conform with symbolism. Only with punishment of being missunderstood one will say 'elefant' to the dog. This is about dialictics of the signs from which we cannot escape - we are imprisoned.

The currently presiding rebellion against the illusion of agreed-upon signs (this rebellion on behalf of the artists is a permanent one albeit on different front-lines) has presently a lot to do with the allergy against the term. Once celebrated as the highest of the art feelings, hence contemplative nature, is encased sign-wisely that much by now that a possibly natureal gesture suspiciously reminds of advertising for Rama (German brand name) breakfast margarine. But at the same time one is still steadfastly convinced  that 'term' is nothing for tensed agressive-reactionist people who with impatience react against everything ambivalent and open.
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