Demo Kits – Demo Kits Deluxe - wood, spray paint can, tape, fabric, variable dimensions - since 2008

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»Having a political opinion is one thing; expressing it in public and taking a stand is quite another. When do we decide to switch roles from passive to active? The ‘Demo Kits’ are both works of art and tools with features designed to facilitate individual action. Everyone should keep at least one at home, ideally ready to hand near the front door like a fire extinguisher. The practical demonstration kits contain a rolled-up banner made out of two rods and a piece of fabric, and also a can of spray paint. I made some of them very inexpensively out of simple wooden laths, cotton fabric, and spray paint from a DIY store. A large quantity of them (a strictly unlimited edition!) are displayed in the exhibition gallery and can be purchased by visitors at cost price. By contrast, the other banners are arranged in the gallery like precious jewels. Consisting of exotic wood, hand-polished precious metal, the finest silk and shiny spray cans, each and every one of them is unique and therefore expensive. Although both types of ‘Demo Kits’ are fully functional, the questions they raise about their possible usage are different.« 

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Installation at view Städtische Galerie Nordhorn, Oldenburger Kunstverein, Blain I Southern Berlin, Germany, and SCAPE Biennal of Art in Public Space, Christchurch, New Zealand.