Peter Sodann Library

I have been in touch with the founding association of the "Peter Sodann Library", because I believe this is an important and worthy project. So, I recently translated the concept for the "Association for the Support, Preservation and Expansion of a Collection of Literature published in the East of Germany between 1945 and 1990 (Peter Sodann Library)” for broader distribution and can provide interested people with a PDF of the German and/or English version. The association can use all the support and help it can get. In particular, they are still looking for a place to house the collection of (currently) 200,000 books - at the moment, they are stored in cardboard boxes in an unused school gym in Merseburg (see photo). I also opened a facebook group called "The Friends of the Peter Sodann Library". If you would like to become a member of the association, provide other assistance, or donate books and/or money, please contact me or Eberhard Richter, head of the association's board.

The association and library see their role in providing access to the public and interested scholars to, at least, a basic inventory of 300,000 books published in the former GDR, and thus guarantee a continued open and critical debate regarding the culture of East Germany and its legacy. The time post-1990 experienced -- despite the agreements in the German Unification Treaty -- a systematic liquidation of the "Literary Nation GDR". Of 78 publishing houses and 17,000 libraries only a small fraction survived and their book inventories ended up mostly in landfills, while many authors were -- often unjustifiably so -- defamed. Germany has a complicated history with books, to say the least, and we should start to learn from that history.

(Photo: © Punctum/Alexander Schmidt)

Contemporary Flânerie: Reconfiguring Cities

an international art exhibit curated by Vagner M. Whitehead

In Modernity, the flâneur, while strolling around his streets, participated in the depiction of a changing city, playing simultaneously active and detached roles. The flâneur and his city maintained a symbiotic relationship, where one helped (re)define the other. In view of current trends in globalization, immigration and technology (i.e., Web 2.0), one's positioning is more fluid than ever before.

With such mobility, one must experience any given place as both a tourist and potential resident. With this in mind, what roles do contemporary flâneur and flâneuse play? How do they reconfigure/re-inscribe their urban experiences? How does flânerie in art relate to GPS systems, virtual reality, surveillance, mapping, MMPORGs, and social networking? This exhibition, with special focus on photography, video and computer-based art, seeks to explore these notions.

A full-color catalogue, featuring all participating artists and related essays, will accompany this event. Artist and scholar presentations will be scheduled during the run of this exhibition.

Featuring: Daniel Blochwitz, Christophe Boete, Eirini Boukla, Penelope Cain, Sean Capone, Antonia Carrara, Claude Chuzel, George Drivas, Jeremy Drummond, Jörn Ebner, Flore Gardner, Lutz Gregor, Henry Gwiazda, Claire Hodge, Leon Johnson, Masayo Kajimura, Cyriaco Lopes & Terri Witek, Richard Metzgar, Richard O'Sullivan, Valeska Maria Populoh, Glynnis Reed, Alexander Reyna, Ryan Roa, Stephen Schulz, Olja Stipanovic, Sylvia Winkler & Stephan Koeperl, Jody Zellen

March 7 - April 12, 2009

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 7, 6 - 8:00PM
Curator's Talk: Sunday, March 8, 2:00PM

Oakland University • Art Gallery • 2200 North Squirrel Road • Rochester, MI 48309-4401 • (248) 370-3005 • www.oakland.edu/ouag

All events free and open to the public.

The catalog page with my two works included in the exhibit.

Das Magazin

Finally, Das Magazin plans to feature Max Dorner's text along with my images on a multi-page spread in their next issue (March). I just received a preliminary layout and think it looks pretty good. So, if you are in Germany, keep an eye open for the magazine when it hits news stands later this month. I'll keep you posted. Max Dorner's book, Lahme Ente in New York, was just published by Piper Verlag/Malik (February 2009). A video of one of Max's readings can be found here.

Successful Opening: "On the Prairie"

The group show "On the Prairie" (see entry below) had a well-attended opening reception on Friday, February 6th, "a steady stream of serious lookers and talkers" as my friend and one of the exhibiting artists, Margaret Tolbert, expressed it. If you are in the area and haven't seen it yet, make sure you'll stop by before February 28th.

(photo by freshqueezedart: curator Summer Zickefoose, right, and co-curator Kelly Cobbs, left, in front of my work "On the Prairie: Off the Beaten Map", 2009)