High-stands

With the participation of international artists the exhibition Raised Hides focuses on the connection of several topic-related questions. Primarily created for hunting purposes, these special architectural developments became a symbol of nature and civilization, still marking the human intervention therefore recalling environmental problems as well. Made of varying raw materials, the special – sometimes bizarre – equipments, raised hides are the proof of individual creativity and inventiveness.

Society as a power structure is visualized in the work of the Irish artist Sarah Iremonger what consists of an installation and a site-specific wall painting. The Hunting Box Party refers to an imagined political party which’s members are strictly raised hides. The installation recalls the theoretical and functional meaning of these architectural realizations; besides, through representing each “party member” on a stylish badge it creates a political connection.

The photograph series of Hungarian artist Péter Pettendi Szabó explores the territory of the former iron curtain’s watchtowers from architectural, topographical and material point of view. The work deals with the changes of the past 20 years through the representation of natural and architectural spaces. Besides the artist reflects ironically onto the visually up to this day unknown territory through applying banal tourist-beloved gifts as a medium of this politically filled topic.

Photograph pairs are displayed of the Austrian artist Walter Ebenhofer´s raised hides series, continually developing since the 1980s, placing the look-photographs and their view-photograph pairs side by side. What can one see while being inside these raised hides and what kind of view can one have taking a quick glance from a short distance. The contrast of the untouched nature and it’s transformation through technical equipments is obvious in both cases.

Nature’s values and ways of energy consumption and energy transmission are those topics which arise while looking at the works of Bertram Kober. The Leipzig based artists photograph series shows East German raised hides placed around pillars of high strained electronic wires. In his works Bertram Kober focuses on the presence and effects of these architectural developments especially from the environmental given possibilities and their appropriation point of view.

The artwork of Paul Horn invites the exhibition visitors to enter and have a look from his self-made mixed-media pulpit build of wood rests and furniture parts. Thanks to the raised situation everybody can become an observant and the subject of observation, therefore part of the exhibition as well. If you have something on your mind, you are welcome to share it.

With the quality to transform untouched landscape views raised hides recall topics like traditional hunting methods, the relationship of men and nature, issues of environmentalism therefore giving the exhibition a social-, political- and cultural interpretation as well.