Installation view, Anton Kern Gallery, 2004 Manfred Pernice Commerzbank Anton Kern Gallery is proud to present "Commerzbank", a new exhibition of artwork by German artist Manfred Pernice. His third solo show in New York features a new series of bench-like sculptures. "Commerzbank" is a collection of objects the artist refers to as "Merzbanks" for their lineage to Kurt Schwitters' Merz movement. The term Merz originates from an advertisement used to promote Commerz-und Handelsbank in 1919. In German, "bank" and "bench" are interchangeable; through Merzbanks, Pernice reconnects Merz with its origin. Exhibited as art objects, they exist as hybrid offerings, oscillating between prop and sign, realism and utopia, politics and art. Form and intention allow them to be read as instruments for social critique. Manfred Pernice constructs sculpture from cardboard, particleboard, concrete and steel; assembly is a device to comment on existing structures, whether they result from buildings, images or furniture. Fragmentary and peripheral by nature, these multifaceted units reconfigure mass, volume and space to engage the viewer in a dialogue that enacts critical allegiance with a site at a specific moment in time. Pernice has exhibited in many important venues such as the 50th Venice Biennale, Documenta 11 and Mass MOCA, MA. His sculpture "Victory" (Sieg), 2001 is currently on view in "Sitings: Installation Art 1969 - 2002", at LAMOCA's Geffen Contemporary, Los Angeles. He has had solo exhibitions in numerous international museums such as the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, Sprengel Museum in Hannover, Witte de With in Rotterdam and Kunsthalle Zurich in Zurich, among others. Exhibition: February 21 - March 20, 2004 Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 10am - 6pm Anton Kern Gallery 532 West 20th Street USA-New York, NY 10011 Telephone + 1 212 367 9663 Fax + 1 212 367 8135 Email info@antonkerngallery.com www.antonkerngallery.com |
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