Picture Machines

This exhibition presented current artistic positions in combination with media-archaeological exhibits. Its premise was based on the observation that contemporary artists often refer to historic media to reflect on the conditions of modern-day image-making. In addition to various artworks, the exhibition featured a number of pieces from filmmaker Werner Neke's extensive collection, the works of which offer a cultural-historic panorama of optical media. The works, ranging from the laterna magica to the wunderscheibe, are regarded as the predecessors of film, television and digital media. Each exhibition venue also displayed artworks that correspond to the local collections and current discourse in each country. For example, the exhibition in Siegen explored the topic of "media upheavals" - a special field of research studied at the university there. The exhibition in Seville examined Arabic scientific history, and exhibition goers in Budapest have had the opportunity to view highlights of the recent Kempelen exhibition.

Curator: Nike Bätzner, Eva Schmidt, Werner Nekes
Artists: Christan Boltanski (FR), Attila Csörgö (HU), Olafur Eliasson (DK), Margarete Hahner (DE), William Kentridge (ZA), Rachel Khedoori (AU), Julio Le Parc (AR), Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák (HU), Giulio Paolini (IT), Markus Raetz (CH), Alfons Schilling (AT), Jesus Raphael Soto (VE), Eulalia Valldosera (ES) and others

Venues and schedule:
Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen: 23 November 2008 - 10 May 2009;
Mücsarnok (art museum) in cooperation with C3, Budapest (HU): 19 June - 30 August 2009; Centro Andaluz de Arte Contémporaneo, Sevilla (ES): September - November 2009