Contemporary Fine Arts
Am Kupfergraben 10
Berlin 10117
February 22 – April 26
The gallery Contemporary Fine Arts has been in existence now for twenty years and can look back over more than 150 exhibitions. For almost half of this time one worked without the internet and electronic media which is hard to believe in the digital era. This makes it all the more fascinating to dip into the analogue past and the first exhibition catalogues, posters, invitation cards etc. out of the CFA archive. These materials were meant to have a continued existence and are thereby the opposite of the transitory mode of the digital posts in today’s multimedia-based world. Where the aim is speed and to be the first to announce news, where as the former printed materials were thought out down to the finest detail and should above all be final, definite and irreversible. The fun that the gallery and the artists had during the production is sustained in the object: Holding a catalogue in ones hands, being able to take a small piece of the exhibition home and to enjoy it over and over again over the years.
The title “FRONT ROW” alludes to the gallery’s pioneering role as one of the first institutions to issue publications on individual exhibitions. These were designed in close collaboration with the artists. Be it Damien Hirst‘s “Making Beautiful Drawings” from 1994, Peter Doig‘s “Blotter” from 1995, Daniel Richter’s “17 Jahre Nasenbluten” from the year 1997, Jonathan Meese’s comprehensive catalogue “Mama Johnny” from the Deichtorhallen Hamburg or the large monographic publication on Dash Snow, both from 2007, as well as Tal R‘s “Adieu Interessant” from 2008. Also rarities, such as Raymond Pettibon‘s fanzines from the eighties, Sigmar Polke‘s catalogue “Gemeinschaftswerk Aufschwung Ost” from 1993 and original sketchbooks by Norbert Schwontkowski will be on view.
The exhibition presents artist books, exhibition catalogues, posters, DVDs, vinyl, and other paraphernalia. These materials were collected over the last twenty years and are now presented in the temporary shop “Front Row”. The shop will be open from February 22 until April 26, 2014 and will be located on the ground floor of the gallery CFA. In addition woodcuts, paintings, photos, graphic and sculptures will be on view. The exhibition is accompanied by a lecture programme.
For more information, please visit http://www.cfa-berlin.com/.
