EINZELSCHAU: SIMONE WESTERWINTER »PICKNICK AM WEGESRAND«

A picnic is something beautiful, sensual, a break one allows oneself, a joyful moment, a delightful instance of nourishment. A checkered tablecloth in the greenery. Desired solitude and contemplation in the best sense. Or perhaps pleasant company, cheerful people, chatting conversation in at least decent weather in a little patch of nature.

Maybe with a lovely view.

Less romantic associations were held by the Russian writers Arkadi and Boris Strugatski. In their fantastic tale "Roadside Picnic," there are so-called zones on Earth that the inhabitants speculate about. Here, extraterrestrials, referred to as visitors, are said to have temporarily lingered. They left behind enticing yet dangerous phenomena. A fairy-tale golden sphere with magical abilities, for instance, that can grant wishes. One interpretation suggests that the visitors neither saw nor understood Earth's civilization. As if they thoughtlessly held a picnic by the roadside. Then they would have continued on their way and vanished forever, carelessly leaving behind the remnants of their picnic in the zones—those mysterious leftovers that now exude both great allure and a lurking eeriness.

Could the roadside picnic be a metaphor for art?

Life allows for an aesthetic interruption. The visitor mentally takes a seat on a lovely platform and observes (themselves), without completely detaching from their specific path and reference system—yet from a different perspective—and senses...

Simone Westerwinter

Opening: Friday, February 4, 2011, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Duration of the exhibition: until March 26, 2011
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Saturday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, subject to change.