Ewa Kniaziak - Let's Give Up On The Idea Of Romance

Our second or third winner for that matter, Ewa Kniaziak, introduced her submission to the 19,99 € Award with the kind words: "Dear jury, the first photo was taken at the .HBC in concert. I'd like to win for the money. Thank you." She immediately stroke me as a smart tactician since she knew by the time she sent in her application that our terrific 19,99 € Award ceremony was going to go down at the .HBC as well. Then again, pretty much everything decent in Berlin is happening there lately, so I guess I don't have a point. I also know her pretty well, thus I didn't really have to make any guesses about what kind of person she was. Our jury however didn't know her, so I'm all the more happy that they noticed that she's a good one. It sort of consolidates my believe in the fine art scenes, since it seems mostly pretty random what these folks like and dislike and 90 % of the self-proclaimed connoisseurs repeat some crap they found in already renowned blogs anyway. Yet my incapability of developping sound and profound judgments about pieces of fine art still remains, it's pretty different with literature, I don't even have to read it to know if it's good or at least worth burning.

If it comes to Ewa Kniaziak's photography "Let's give up on the idea of romance", our jury had some concerns about the title, yet they all agreed sooner or later that it was way more than just corny, technically very well-done and beautiful this is.

Gusti Gould Korban: "I still like "Let's give up on the idea of romance". I had an initial hesitation before choosing it (perhaps somewhat similar to your initial feeling that it's kitsch, Martin) because I felt it was "too mainstream". But then I realized that wasn´t a good reason (worrying about how I looked!) for rejecting it. It's visually quite beautiful with great textures and use of light. [...] From what I've seen so far it looks like none of us is ready to give up on romance."

Lasse Lawrence: "My second favorite piece would be "Let's give up on the idea of romance". I cannot really explain why, it's cheesy and a little hippie or 70's revival. But I must say that despite of that it's a beautiful photography work in terms of light and shapes or movements. I printed it in a very bad quality on a shitty paper on my terrible printer at home and I must say that it still looks beautiful, maybe better! I like this impression of suspended moments, I know a song called "Suspended in Love" (it's not a cheesy song at all, it's even completely hysterical), maybe it has to do with that. Time, motions, senses being suspended and that's the other part, the other side of the picture, that keeps us away from the danger, the danger to be drawn, to fall out of senses. Being suspended reminds us that we all will fall at some point."

Martin Beck: "I printed out the Romance-Picture as well, and I must say it makes a much better impression, when it’s not in that Windows-window where you always see that silly title above it. What strikes me is the complete lack of sexiness of that scene (that’s of course a very subjective thing), and I guess that indeed justifies the title to a certain extent. As I always have a problem with making my mind up with a single photography, I did something forbidden and googled the title, and seeing it in the context of the other pictures I think it’s not stemming from such a cheesy mindset as my first impression was, and there is an interesting examination of light, contrast etc. And on first glance I find some of the other pictures better than the submission. Still I think the title is a no-go."

Cornelia Huth: "Yes it is the most pathetic theme to choose ever. It's drinking too much and writing love songs. Black and white. I get the cheesy, the mainstream, being to agreeable and over-aesthetical. It is somewhat the perfect picture (and picture perfect) for a hip advertisement in Berlin Mitte, just name one. That's the thing, but that's no reason to dislike it, as Gusti said, just look at the streetart sell-out shit that's happening at the moment. There is no real or unreal, I think the context is wide in this case. It captures an individual, intimate moment and generates another individual feeling, memory, taste or smell. That's not new at all, it’s not pointing at problems or arousing intellectual discussions but it shows the ability of an artist in general to generate something out of everything. The apparatus just made the transportation visible, one to one. Moreover this little box changed the way of our perception in general. It just brings us to see pictures everywhere and see everything in pictures. All the other things I agree with too, interesting shades of light, unexpected effects, not able to localize, looks like underwater. [...] This could be the work of Ryan McGinley's assistant (who by the way was the youngest artist showing at Moma ever and at the same time working for the New York Times, the Olympics, fashion stuff etc.). It includes all the references of subjective photography or like other people say, documentation photography (Goldin, Tillmans). Although I like the medium and it's way of transporting the theme, I am having a hard time, like Martin, judging photography by just one picture and without any context information."

Here we see the young lady early in the morning, still haunted by nightmares that only a good cold morning shower can wash off.

Malgorzata Szandala - Nearly Impossible

Last week I presented Bas Hendrikx' Award winning candy distributor "Candybars", today I'm honored to introduce the second first winner of this year's 19,99 € Award, Malgorzata Szandala, and her piece "Nearly Impossible". The thing with having two first winners is that there's a strong tendency to refer to a first first winner and second first winner. Is Bas Hendrikx the better first winner because I presented him first? (Am I a chauvinist for treating gentlemen before ladies? Or a feminist (with a sweet tooth for Marilyn Frye) for the same matter?) Or is Bas Hendrikx the less valuable first winner because I spent less words on his presentation? Then again, why do I mention his name so often? It's a damn cool name, that's for sure, but so is Malgorzata Szandala, Malgorzata Szandala, Malgorzata Szandala. I just love the beauty of echolalia. However, I really couldn't care less and I'm mostly asking myself why I'm asking myself all these damn questions. Despite the fact that there were moments in my life when my psychological constitution was to be considered more sane than it is these days, I'm rhetorically prancing through these questions because there is indeed a reason why I presented Bas first and Malgorzata second.

For weeks now I've been going through all the letters our jury members exchanged in the process of finding a decision. While reconstructing the spirit of decision making within the art industry, I discovered that our jury didn't exactly fall in love with Malgorzata's piece at first glance or as Gusti Gould Korban so felicitously verbalized: "It grows on you." Here we see "Nearly Impossible":

And here are a few things our jury members pointed out in the course of their "postmodern" discourse:

Cornelia Huth: "I like this one. A short message made of stones (that's what I see) thrown intentionally on the ground to make it look like the complete opposite, just fallen there, saying "nearly impossible", sounds like a funny parody to me. The blurry symbolic language puts it in-between: high and low quality, streetart and land-art, serious and ridiculous. As Lasse said before, I do like reading short messages everywhere as well and finding this while wandering around would make my day. Moreover, I somehow experience a zeitgeist feeling here. The phenomenon of transporting messages, expressing feelings, staying in contact, making arrangements these days. Everything you have say to your friends / family / lover / world is in 120 letters. Starting with text messages and facebook. I can’t even remember reading a letter on real paper. Like the title says: (For me) it is nearly immpossible to explain things in this form, but that's what we do all day. Funny too. I just like the twists this piece is able to transport."

Gusti Gould Korban: "I can hear the crunching sound that walking on such gravel makes, something which always makes up for its ugliness and here the touch of green does the same. The message is a pleasant surprise that subtly humanizes the barrenness. The idea is a clever one that works. It brings an immediate smile to the observer who then is able to easily make a myriad of associations both aesthetic and philosophical. And it grows on you. The combination of inanimate rubble, green life and the unexpected words of man, barely visible at first glance, makes for intelligent whimsy. I wish I were able to join you all for a drink..."

Lasse Lawrence: "Even if I don't really get the topic of this piece, I like the idea of walking down some random dirty rocky path in a nature park or something, finding such an unexpected mysterious message on my way, it reminds me of Cosmos, a book by Gombrowitz, where the walkers find a bird hanged on a branch in their way to a refuge, and start their investigation from this point - and start to see signs in the smallest elements of the surrounding environment, leading them to some unlikely speculations."

And here you see a picture of Malgorzata, Bas didn't send me one, but I'm sure he's also pretty:

Bas Henrikx - Candybars

Life ain't scary, it's just pretty expensive. Sometimes I'm glad I don't have any wives nor kids that I have to shoot when there's nothing more to pawn. Bas Hendrikx from Amsterdam, one of two winners of this year's 19,99 € Award, doesn't have to worry about money anymore.

Jury member Martin Beck writes about Bas Hendrikx' installation "Candybars" from 2009:

"Candy Bars is my winner because of its intricate and complex entanglement of the aesthetics of minimalism and our regressive desire for cheap sensual pleasures. References to minimalism can be found in its rectangular box shape as well materials such as frosted glass, metal and neon lights, rendering it a highly aesthetic piece. Yet the minimalistic practice of manufacturing a work of art with the means of industrial production seem to be reversed by artistically recreating a functional object that is itself a standardised item of serial production. The resulting piece fits well into an art space, yet it confronts our wish for a refined acknowledgment of its formal and material qualities with our regressive sensual desires and the automatism by which consumer capitalism is ready to cater them.

An image that reminds – judging from the rather bad quality picture – of a pink bucket, a drink or a meaningless abstract emblem, offers a pleasure that is as cheap as it is sweet, unhealthy and redundant. At the same time promising and withholding the designated object of our infantile desire, Candy Bars represents a study on display, taste, aesthetic experience and objecthood at times when the art sphere is increasingly incorporated in the entertainment industry."

Jury member Lasse Lawrence adds:

"I like the piece because of its triviality in an art space. [...] I like Candybars because it reminds us that art turned into the product of some diluted consumption and exhibitions are the places where this diluted consumption takes place. It's not only "let's have a break, let's have a candy bar!" it's also let's have a break, let's examine why we visit exhibition spaces, what we come here for?"

 

The 19,99 € Award Fun Explosion - A First Glimpse Of The Ceremony

AND THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR'S 19,99 € AWARD ARE BAS HENDRIKX & MALGOSIA SZANDALA! 

So unfortunately we have to divide the 19,99 € in half. We will inform the winners shortly in person and agree on a safe way of shipping the fortune. [As soon as we have enough time to breathe.]

 

 

Eight Things That Matter

REASONS TO READ FUN CLUB ________________________________________________________________

§1
We have reason to believe that superhero Baby Dee might answer a few of our questions. Don't forget to mark March 25th in your calendar - don't you miss Baby Dee's show at the Berghain!

§2
A review of Randy Twigg's masterpiece "Undone" is in the making.

§3
Our review of Houellebecq's and Lévy's "Volksfeinde" ("Ennemis publics") will be continued.

§4
We will soon introduce you to the winner(s) of this this year's 19,99 € Award.

§5
Our HUGE literature award/competition will launch in a few days.

TIME TO GO FUN CLUB ________________________________________________________________

§6
On February 28th we will present the winner(s) of this year's 19,99 € Award in a spectacular show at the HBC. We would like to take a minute and thank our co-operation partner Sunday Extraordinaire.

FRIENDS OF FUN CLUB ________________________________________________________________

§7
Please check out "lobby" at Kino Arsenal, a project by our jury member Martin Beck inter alia. Daily from 11 am to 10 pm or later - February 12th till February 21st.

§8
Please apply here for the air band contest at next week's Sunday Extraordinaire. Don't miss out on 200 €.

About Interns, Streetart, Fashion, Tony, Family & Masked Kisses

February 3rd, 2010 - a historical day. Our chief executive Tony Abstract was to be the first human to eye-witness a phishing attack on open street, the victim turned purple before he shut down. What an exorbitant lie, but how else would we steal your attention, for sure not by reminding you once again that the 19,99 € Award deadline is closing in. I won't back down, spoke the deadline, before casting a cloud over your every move. And suddenly you lost sight of this silver lining that we all constantly chase, while only a few ever come to wear it as a necklace. We got carried away. What we indeed discovered a while ago is a new tattoo on Weinmeisterstrasse. We took a picture of it almost a week ago, when the the colour was still fresh and fragrant, but then we forgot about it, thanks to liquor and love.

 

 

In regards to our award ceremony on the 28th, we would like to announce that we're looking for two camera teams. One camera team is supposed to document the ceremony, while the other camera team should document what their colleagues' are doing. This way we hope to offer enough transparency, the media just play a crucial role in any healthy democratic system. We're dead serious about that, so please apply here.

We're gosh darn happy to welcome our new intern Henrique Churumabilioso in the Fun Club team. One of the many ordeals the young fashion photographer had to go through during his job interview was a fashion shoot with our chief executive Tony Abstract himself.

Tony wears blue 'cause he feels blue most of the time, at least that's what he says. The "blue suit" is part of the "Urban Knight Collection" his half-sister Antonia created and crafted by means of recycling old rags she found in the closet of Tony's (but not her) old man Anton Abstrakt der Ältere. The beautiful mask was provided by the hosts of Berlin's legendary Instant Kuss Party series, well-known in secretive circles for their gigantic masked balls.

19,99 € Award - Jury Member Lasse Lawrence/Laurent Lasselin

'Tis a good day for the fine arts, after long and tenacious negotiations Lasse Lawrence agreed to join our jury. Not only is the young man a legend in the Parisian-Berlinian undergound burning art movement, he also is the self-proclaimed Chancellor of a very mean elitist alliance by the name of "mean club", closely related to another darn aggressive group known as "Berlin's fashion police". (Our jury is now complete, nothing can stop the 19,99 € Award.)

 

"Lasse Lawrence is the temporary pseudonym of Laurent Lasselin. Lasse Lawrence is born in the Eighties, maybe a little before, studied History and Philosophy. One day he entered an Art School just to visit. He decided to stay. Five years after that, he finally got out with a diplom of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Art de Paris Cergy in 2006. After living in Lille and Paris in France, he lives now in Berlin since 2007. He worked for many galleries in Berlin, but not anymore and for the Berlinale each year since 2008. Lasse Lawrence is operating as an artist, a critic, a writer, a musician and choreographer, and developing now a curatorial activity in a little space in Neukölln when he doesn´t have to sweep the floor or do the dishes. Lasse also works as tax assessor, but that's more of a hobby." 

Konkurrenz Belebt Das Geschäft - Calls For Submission

 

We also recommend media and video artists (with no interest in money) to apply at the Crosstalk Video Art Festival Budapest till February 26th. 

Well, we were about to present more calls for submission in this section. After signing up at all these "art" communities online (in order to promote the 19,99 € Award), we received many calls for submission via email. Now we reviewed them carefully and it turns out to be a bunch of crap. Then we googled around for a while and well, they all have submission and /or exhibition fees, you can barely win a thing and the vibe you get when reading these calls for submission is just so retarded, Susan even threw up on Murphy who's taking a nap on the floor as we speak. However, we just noticed that the world has been waiting for us. We don't have NO submission fee and you can still win 19,99 €. In addition we give you the exposure that our blog has to offer and will present you at an official award ceremony to the public as the genius you truely are. If enough people apply we might even get a small exhibition together, who knows. And in case we can sell your piece, we will definitely not take more than 10%, that's a promise.

We Deny Everything But Good Art

It is about time to introduce our "creative tool" Peter Rings, also known as Peter Ringo. Right now he's sitting crossed-legged in the FUN CLUB studio working on a (hopefully) three-dimensional FUN CLUB logo. A few minutes ago he sent us the long expected 19,99 € Award slogan via text message: "We deny everything but good art - the 19,99 € Award." The brilliant slogan was followed by some rather unfriendly mumbling a bit later on the phone, I guess you all know how artists can be since you all consider yourself artists anyway, however, Ringo said that he didn't have the time to design the 19,99 € Award Logo/Flyer around the slogan, so we're now looking for another intern to do the job. Anyone? 1,2,3.

There's no reason to pronounce the first syllable of "weekend" since it in fact just ends. However, we're grateful for the chance to finally officially dislike something, the Fashion Week After Party at Warschauer Str. 34 was just insanely pale and all things considered dispensable. A bunch of dressed-up rowdies from the suburbs prancing around like they haven't been laid for too long and perhaps they played some music there, but I really don't remember. We feasted on the open bar till it closed, then we met friends and discussed  The Mystery Method.

How beautiful in comparison was our Saturday afternoon at the Heroes. We really have to review this unobtrusive gem more thoroughly, since it just always allures us to stay happily ever longer than our tight schedule commands. Perhaps it's the cuisine, aah, one sweet taste parade, on Saturday we went for the "cake rumble", tomorrow we'll attend the Cantine du Jeudi for the first time, this week they offer Lasagna.

The beautiful lamp you see above is designed by French designer, artist and wood master Romain Houssais and to be found at the Heroes.

Oh, it is almost time for our late night photo shoot with Susan, so we have to tell you about the spectacular robot performance at the Sunday Extraordinaire another day.

Trost Den Wartenden - Ein- & Ausblick & 12

History tells us that you don't have to shoot to get shot, however, we believe that you have to push hard to set certain things in motion. And indeed we see the broken machine rolling back on us, every day a bit faster, yet we don't fear a thing since we do believe in death to everyone.

1. Today I got critized for not writing enough. I first thought it was a very mean joke, but no, she seemed to mean it. And just to be clear on that matter, I will post a review on last weekend soon, I already wrote it inside of my head, which of course makes the effort of actual writing a bit pointless and boring.

2. Fun Club's expert on the history of ideas, philosophy and academic events just informed me that there is work in progress to be reviewed soon. I will keep you posted.

3. As it is raining 19,99 € Award jury members on our dry souls, if you allow me to be that "poetic", it seems more and more likely that the bombastic award ceremony we were pushing so hard is going down just as planned. I would like to thank everybody who sent a "Pro Fun Club" letter to Ms. Helluin.

4. A surprising letter was found in our still freshly painted mailbox. A person with a somewhat literary name sent us a poem. Suspicious as I am, I cannot help myself but assume that a friend of mine is trying to be nice, however, since the person asked me to stay anonymous; I cannot lay before you what seems to be a made-up name. Supposedly the artist in question wrote the poem the night she/he turned 12. The work is entitled "12", somewhat coherent I have to say, yet coherence has always played a bigger part in camouflage than in real life.

"It's time to condense
some water
inside your breath just fuck you
forever like the baby shampoo
he found in your indie magazine
that you ACCIDENTALLY forgot
at his place but if he is an invention or a less advanced lie
that grows hair in its nose
you would still be disgusted."

19,99 € Award - Jury Member Gusti Gould Korban

Once in a while everything just falls into place. As an acknowledgement of our gratitude we shall remain silent.

"Gusti Gould Korban studied art at the Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna and the Academia de San Carlos in Mexico City many a fine year ago. Presently she is co-owner/director of Cumbre Centro de Inglés in Colima, Mexico and also translates from Spanish to English. Anyone interested can view some of her artwork on facebook. She considers it an honor and privilege to collaborate in this humble form with Tony Abstract."

19,99 € Award - Jury Member Cornelia Huth

Many years before students and other failures even thought about infiltrating Berlin's number one ghetto, Cornelia Huth opened a small, yet very charming gallery in an apartment somewhere in the depth of Neukölln. She still has the smell of the street in her nose as you might notice when you read her self-depreciating autodescription. We say "thank you" to our ordinary Joan for joining our international jury.

"Cornelia Huth (*13.06.1982) studies history of art/philosophy and is one part of 18ergold altogether in Berlin. Constantly searching and asking."

[Also see here and here.]

19,99 € Award - Jury Member Martin Beck

Fun Club headhunters caught Mr. Fake or Feint. We welcome Martin Beck as the first accredited member of 19,99 € Award jury.

"Martin Beck has studied philosophy in Hamburg and Berlin. Besides that he is an author and curator who loves to cook. He has written for several art magazines and recently co-curated the ‚fake or feint‘ exhibition series at Berlin Carré. Currently he is participating in a project called ‚lobby‘ which, as a part of Forum Expanded, consists in a spatial setting and running the bar at Kino Arsenal during this year's Berlinale. Since the insane topic of 19.99 € award’s first edition is ‚bars‘, he will provide the selection process with his newly acquired profound metaphysical insight into that matter."

Remarks And Remarkable Events

At times you find a dog in your apartment, small and black, another piece of coal on four legs or three if the dog has been unlucky, he yells at you like bad dogs do for you've never met before, one should never circumscribe simple things, still I hate the work "barking" too much. There is always a rational explanation, but who really cares how the dog got in. I said "we" once too often, at the end of each day it is I who falls asleep, even without my awareness. And each morning it is I who opens the gates of the Fun Club Burö and I who writes these things, so Susan and Ronny and Murphy and whoever the fuck is feasting at my table can be proud of what "we" did. Not tonight. On a Sunday like this there ain't no space for generous gestures and this is why I brought before you as a gift the very story of the dog. Is he still in the kitchen eating my bones, yes I do sure think so.

Once again I spent my afternoon at HBC's Sunday Extraordinaire, an emerging tradition, a ritual perhaps and an obsession for those who need to crown the climax. I don't like it, but I am one of those, a drive-by confession, yet not an indictement to go, leave it where it belongs. Sunday Extraordinaire deserves better than the pictures I took, there were more sellers than in the weeks before, ever more colorful and inspiring, yet I was still drawn to the corners in which no breath was to be felt. My everyman's Sunday fever, stick your ostrich beak into the mud, but be greatful for all the pretty faces that smile around like they share a secret that you couldn't handle. Hell no, I'm not depressed, I'm just sensitively responding to the calendar, which for a hard boy like me is a virtue according to my encyclopedia of male role models.

I talked to Dr. Uwe Schneider for a quite a while there, he works as consultant for Fun Club in the field of Bermuda Triangle music, everything strained between hippie, gothic and violent noise. He's also an expert on Austrian literature, well-known for his Derrida inspired interpretation of Thomas Bernhard who by the way really shares my deep love for the theater. We exchanged opinions on money-making, Unica Zürn's drawings as well as on the band of the same name, last but not least, how could it be different, on Fun Club's 19,99 € Award. It struck me as a shock that Dr. Uwe Schneider saw elements of parody in my presentation of the 19,99 € Award. I hereby declare that the award in question is nothing less than a parody. If I hadn't spent most of my fortune on liquor and good causes such as the prevention of earthquakes in already poor countries, I would definitely offer more than 19,99 €, unfortunately 20 is all I have left. If it makes our call for submissions seem less cynical, I can change the name to 20 € Award. I will prove my pure intentions within the next days by presenting an impressive international jury.

Now that Sunday is almost over, things appear in a different light, so I let my mind travel to the Sunday to come. Extraordinaire like all my Sundays in 2010, this goes without saying, still special I'm convinced. According to Fleur Helluin, who hosts the weekly freak flea market, actual robots are to be expected on stage. Oh and I do love robots, but who doesn't. Unfortunately I got distracted by the beautiful dark green dress she wore, so this is all the intelligence I gathered, but I'm sure I will see you next Sunday. If you need more intel on the upcoming robotic outburst, I'll update you on Friday at the Maria where Tilt! Party is going down starring Jennifer Cardini.

Before I rest my weary bones, I would like to ask you for a favor. Please take a minute and send an email to Sunday Extraordinaire's hostess using "Pro Fun Club" as the subject. We briefly discussed the possibility of holding the 19,99 € Award Ceremony at Sunday Extraordinaire and I would like to see her that Fun Club has a strong basis eager to push it to the max.

19,99 € AWARD

1, 2, 3 - FUN CLUB INITIATIVE is proud to announce the 19,99 € AWARD. An international jury (Gusti Gould Korban, Cornelia Huth, Martin Beck and Lasse Lawrence) will carefully select the finest young talent within the fine arts. A scholarship of 19,99 € as a one-off payment is granted to the winner.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

1. The 19,99 € AWARD is restricted to what's generally perceived as the visual arts.

2. Every artist can apply with one piece of art only, represented by one image.

3. The image should be attached as a digital file (preferably jpg) to the application.

4. Please send your application as an email to FUN CLUB or to our devoted download-boy Michel.

5. In addition to the competition entry, a portrait picture of the applicant as well as a brief vita should be attached to the application.

6. By sending the application, the artist assures that the copyright of the images sent along resides with her/him.

7. By sending the application, the artist grants FUN CLUB the right to publish all the information/material that is attached to the application here. The copyright will of course reside with the applicant.

8. Please be aware that applications that are sent in after February 13th, 2010 can not be considered for the 19,99 € AWARD. By choosing this date as a deadline, our chief executive Tony Abstract hopes to remember his little brother's birthday.

THE FIRST RENDITION OF THE 19,99 € AWARD

For one reason or another an award needs a (changing) theme/topic. We decided to choose BARS as the subject of the first rendition of the 19,99 € AWARD. We believe that the bar as such is underrepresented in the fine arts given its tremendous importance. Bukowski once said: "I don't like jail, they got the wrong kind of bars in there." And we also remember Lee Hazlewood praying them bars away. Now both hairy old men are not exactly representatives of the fine arts, but that might just be the point. We might add a sincere FUCK BARS at the end of our statement, expressing our hatred towards "the topic". Please feel free to send in whatever artwork imposes itself, if it shows a race car, it shows a race car, if it is good, it is good.

LAST WORDS

Although our international jury is eager to be highly selective, we might be forced to choose the most random crap. This is for sure an advantage as well as a disadvantage of the first rendition of the 19,99 € AWARD. It's highly possible that you're the only one sending in "something", so you really don't have to be an artist after all.