The exhibit, a narration based on childhood memories in a little village, will be the focus of an opening event during the evening of Friday, January 16. It will remain on display through February 28.
On Friday, January 16, at 6:30 p.m. Deutsches Haus at NYU will present an exhibition opening of Florian Reischauer's solo show Grüss Gott - A Fairy Tale, a narration based on childhood memories which takes place in a little village in the countryside . The show, on display through February 28, deals with traditions, recurring seasons, the feeling of being protected by a familiar constant and a certain consciousness of being stuck in time. A never-ending story with an unwritten plot, which is nevertheless created by its protagonists:
Once upon a time, there was a small village somewhere in the countryside. It wasn't easy to find. But once you were inside, it wasn’t so easy to leave. Time slunk in and stayed in this village. It made itself at home and finally decided to stay forever. And so the seasons and the people greeted one another while going on a stroll and found themselves in the cozy togetherness of the traditions of the village. And so it went, year in, year out. And as time still tarries, they still do.
Grüss Gott- A Fairy Tale tells us roughly this story. But the series is more an aesthetic palimpsest, documenting the inner life of the observer. Questions arise about the peculiarities of the uniforms and the people who wear them, as they take on their roles within their groups, clubs, and orchestras. In addition, the viewers may see the protagonists as figurines on a stage - comprised of landscape, clubhouse, and traditions - which they can weave into their very own tale. Where does the individual position itself in a community that is so small that it appears to be forced in and of itself? Lonely and helpless, or rather proud and free, woven together by a traditional togetherness. In this fairy tale, the individual can be found where the viewers have placed him or her in their imagination, in a surreal story which they end up telling themselves.
Florian Reischauer (b. 1985) is an Austrian photographer and blogger based in Berlin. For the past five years he has been working on the blog Pieces of Berlin, attempting to capture Berlin's everyday life. In 2013, a solo exhibition of the project was shown at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Berlin, and a book of the same name has just been published. His ongoing project Grüss Gott - A Fairy Tale will have its inaugural exhibition at Deutsches Haus at NYU in January.
Deutsches Haus is located 42 Washington Mews, New York, N.Y. (enter the Mew from University Place). For further information, call 212.998.8660.