Christoph Schlingensief Retrospective at MoMA PS1, New York

Christoph Schlingensief was one of the most provocative and controversial protagonists of the cultural scene in Germany. His works dealt in a very direct way with the social and political issues in Germany and included film, theater, installation, performance, TV shows, literature, radio plays, etc. He founded an Opera Village in Africa, established his own political party, and even thematized the lung cancer from which he died in 2010.

The exhibition Christoph Schlingensief at MoMA PS1 presents the most comprehensive survey of works by the artist organized in the United States. The retrospective includes Schlingensief’s films, political actions, opera and theater productions, performances, sound, video and art installations from his nearly thirty year career. The exhibition Christoph Schlingensief will be on view at MoMA PS1 through August 31, 2014. In addition to the main exhibition, MoMA PS1 presents Christoph Schlingensief’s Germany Trilogy and 120 Days of Bottrop – the Last New German Film (on view at MoMA PS1 through May, 2014.). This video provides you with a walk-through of the exhibition on the occasion of the Press Preview.

Christoph Schlingensief was born in Oberhausen in 1960 and died in Berlin in 2010. Schlingensief studied philosophy, German language and literature and art history in Munich. He worked as an assistant to the experimental filmmaker Werner Nekes. After making several low budget films, Schlingensief came to public attention with his Germany Trilogy (1989-1992). Starting in 1993, Schlingensief produced a large number of theater works. From 1996 until 2006, he worked as an in-house director at the Volksbühne Theater in Berlin. During the early 2000s, he produced and starred in a series of television shows modeled after popular talk shows and reality series. Throughout his career he realized performances and actions, exhibitions and installations in galleries and museums.

Schlingensief’s works have been included in several important international group exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale 2011, 54th International Art Exhibition.

Christoph Schlingensief at MoMA PS1, New York. Press Preview, March 7, 2014. Video by Shimon Azulay.

PS: Watch also: Christoph Schlingensief. German Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2011.

> Right-click (Mac: ctrl-click) this link to download Quicktime video file.

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