Schwitzkästen - Ausweglosigkeiten und andere Zwangslagen

29 Aug – 4 Oct 2015

Participating Artists: Kurt Fleckenstein (GER) Dominique Ghesquiere (F) Karin Kerkmann (GER) Frank Klötgen (GER) Christian Loenhoff (GER) Funda Özgünaydin (TUR) Ilona Ottenbreit (GER) kate hers RHEE (USA) Hildegard Skowasch (GER) Margund Smolka (GER) In physical terms, a *Schwitzkasten* (literally a "sweat box") is a rectangular wooden enclosure with an opening for the head, designed to flush toxins from the body. However, this exhibition features no such wooden boxes; instead, the term serves as a metaphor for inescapable situations from which one must break free—themes explored through the works of the participating artists. The concept for the exhibition originated with a photograph showing a police officer restraining a person in a *Schwitzkasten* (a police headlock) from which they were unable to escape. This discovery sparked an interest that led to in-depth research into the various meanings of the term. A wide range of aspects emerged, demanding closer examination: there were purely situational instances—confinements arising from personal feelings or experiences (violence, dominance, personal oppression)—as well as predicaments at the level of the rule of law or even on a global scale (military prisons, torture, ecological disasters) and issues related to municipal urban development (gentrification). Purely visual interpretations of the concept were also taken into account when curating the exhibition; alongside installations, video art, object art, and performances, the show—curated by Jörg Daniel—features drawings and traditional painting. The exhibition addresses themes ranging from well-known folk tales (such as *Sleeping Beauty*) to scenes from dance and theater in which figures are tightly intertwined or physically constrained by chokeholds.