The philosopher Vilém Flusser called a tent a “creative nest” – a place for nomads to gather experiences as they move around. The idea of doing without a fixed abode is very much present in Isabella Fürnkäs’s current exhibition at HUA International, the center of which is two dome tents. Around them lie blankets and bricks: are tents a protective shelter or a hostile fortress? Is this lifestyle nomadism or forced migration? The tents are sculptures, but also backdrops: performers are set to fill these shelters with life as part of “Ataraxia”, a durational performance piece planned for 11.02.2022. Meanwhile, in the darkened adjoining room you find a looped image feed projected on a pile of earth. Here, Fürnkäs is hinting at the nomadic nature of everyday communication – the “commute” you make between text messages, photos, apps and conversations. The photos are accompanied by a spoken stream of consciousness set to music coming from offstage. Contrasting this flood of images and experiences is Fürnkäs’s drawings, which consist of just a few strokes. With her work, the Japanese-born artist makes small, creative refuges that allow walls to crumble, giving rise to permeability and connection.
Text: Laura Storfner / Photos: Tim Oehler & Robert Rieger / Credit: Isabella Fürnkäs & Hua International
HUA International, Potsdamer Str.81B, 10785 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Build Me a House: Isabella Fürnkäs, until 12.02.2022
You can register for the performance on 11.02 at 18h via email.
@hua_international
@isabellafuernkaes
