Thermostat

The project Thermostat invited twelve German Kunstvereine [art associations] and twelve French centres d’art [art centres] to collaborate on ca. 30 joint exhibitions and events for presentation in both countries from June 2010 to April 2011. Although both institutions are firmly anchored in each country, German Kunstvereine had a completely different origin than that of the French centres d’art. Most German art associations were founded by the rising, artistically-minded middle class of the 19th century, while private interest groups established the first French art centres in the 1970s. Traditionally the French art centres have strongly focused on introducing artistic content to children and young adults. In both countries, these art associations and centres are among the most influential proponents of contemporary art, provide the first platform for many young artists and shape cultural life far beyond the large metropolitan areas. One of the project’s central goals was to examine and strengthen the decentralized structures of the art sector. The collaboration encouraged intensive exchange which addressed many of today’s important artistic, curatorial and organizational issues.

Project directors: Cédric Aurelle, Muriel Enjalran
Curators: Silke Albrecht, Pierre Bal-Blanc, Sylvie Boulanger, Anja Casser, Yann Chevallier, Marie Cozette, Keren Detton, Lilian Engelmann, Ralf F. Hartmann, Sophie Kaplan, Anne Kersten, Ulrike Kremeier, Holger Kube Ventura, Marianne Lanavère, Sophie Legrandjacques, Claire Le Restif, Hannes Loichinger, Astrid Mania, Madeleine Mathé, Martine Michard, Sandra Patron, Britta Peters, Kathleen Rahn, Thomas Thiel, Janneke de Vries, Hilke Wagner, Axel John Wieder

Artists: Can Altay (TR), Bertille Bak (F), Davide Balula (F), Johanna Billing (SE), Julien Bismuth (F), Patrick Bernier (F), Shannon Bool (CDN), Matti Braun (FIN), Kerstin Brätsch (D), Peggy Buth (D), Joëlle de la Casinière (F), Emmanuelle Castellan (F), Clairefontaine (F), François Curlet (F), Jean-Marc Chapoulie (F), Thea Djordjadze (GE), Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil (F), Eric Duyckaerts (B), Latifa Echakhch (F), Jeanne Faust, (F), Yona Friedmann (F), Elise Florenty (F), Beatrice Gibson (GB), Erik Göngrich (D), David Hatcher (NZ), Sylvia Heinrich (D), Olive Martin (BE), Jean-Luc Moulène (F), Emilie Pitoiset (F), Oda Projesi (TK), Stéphane Pichard (F), Raumlaborberlin / Markus Bader (D), Nadin Reschke (D), Evariste Richer (F), Michael Riedel (D), Clément Rodzielski (F), Javier Téllez (VE), Stephen Willarts (GB) u.a.

Venues and schedule:
CAC Brétigny, Brétigny-sur-Orge, 1 September – 30 October 2010
Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, 5 November – 31 December 2010
La Galerie, Centre d´art contemporain de Noisy-le-Sec, 11. December 2010 – 12 February 2011
Kunstverein Braunschweig, 5 June – 15 August 2010
CRAC Alsace, Centre rhénan d´art contemporain d’Altkirch, 17. June – 12. September 2010
Centre d´art contemporain d´Irvy - le Crédac, Ivry-sur-Seine, 22 September – 19 December 2010
Kunstverein Nürnberg, 9. October – 5 December 2010
Centre d’art contemporain – la synagogue de Delme, 2. October 2010 – 9. January 2011
Brandenburgischer Kunstverein, Potsdam, 11. December 2010 - 30. January 2011
Centre d’art passerelle, Brest, 28. January – 2. April 2011
Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, 24 September – 28 November 2010
cneai=, Chatou, 19 October – 19 December 2010
Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof, Hamburg, 29 October – 19 December 2010
Halle für Kunst, Lüneburg, 20 November 2010 – 16 January 2011
GAK – Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst, Bremen, Shanon Bool: 27 November 2010 – 30 January 2011; Julien Bismuth: 19 February – 24 April 2011
Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, 18 March – 15 May 2011
Bielefelder Kunstverein, 13 November 2010 – 30 January 2011
Le Grand Café, Centre d’art contemporain, Saint-Nazaire, 19 March – 8 May 2011
Kunstverein Wolfsburg, 26 November 2010 – 6 February 2011
Maison des arts Georges Pompidou, Cajarc, 16 April – 5 June 2011
Kunstverein Tiergarten | Galerie Nord, Berlin, 26 February – 2 April 2011
Parc Saint Léger, Centre d’art contemporain, Pougues-les-Eaux, 10 October – 19 December 2010
Frankfurter Kunstverein, 11 March – 8 May 2011