Beyond the Pain

This exhibition by the Galerie Stadt Sindelfingen goes far beyond merely presenting what physical and emotional pain is and how it’s artistically represented. Instead it examines how pain can be overcome and the powers it can awaken, or rather what positive effects can arise after conquering it. Based on the observation that pain is a temporary experience, the exhibition presents 13 pieces by international artists who contribute mostly time-based works like videos and performances. These include, for example, the video installation “Liminal” (2019) by Maya Watanabe and a newly commissioned piece by the British artist Marianna Simnett, known for videos showing herself undergoing extreme surgical procedures. With a focus on such themes as self-optimisation and human enhancement, the exhibition highlights alterations to the body for the purpose of overcoming pain. The curators will also present photos by the famous Dutch video and concept artist Bas Jan Ader, who went missing in 1975, to a German audience for the first time. The exhibition includes an interdisciplinary accompanying programme, in which pain therapists are invited to participate, and visitors, supervised by a trainer, can learn how to boost the limits of their physical performance by overcoming pain.

Artistic director: Madeleine Frey
Curator: Sebastian Schmitt
Artists: Bas Jan Ader, Nobuyoshi Araki, Harun Farocki, Forensic Architecture, Patrycja German, Anna Gohmert, Damien Hirst, Viktoria Modesta, Barbis Ruder, Marianna Simnett, Maya Watanabe, Gabrielle Zimmermann
Project assistant: Sebastian Schmitt
Media and public relations: Elke Bernhart