Review
Fareed Armaly will serve as artistic director of Künstlerhaus Stuttgart for two years, beginning in 1999. As an artist, he tends to remain in the background—yet his exhibitions often say more than enough. His concepts are complex and socially engaged; they range from institution-critical stagings to the development of a television project held in conjunction with a seminar at the University of Hamburg. His appointment continues the house’s tradition of theoretical discourse and promises to be a stroke of good fortune for Stuttgart. Armaly spoke with Katrin Wittneven.
nbk: What appeals to you about working within an institution?
F. A.: I’ve always worked with art institutions, as you can tell from my time in Cologne, with the UNITE project, the Generali Foundation, or the current project for public space in Hamburg. I’m interested in being involved in projects that clearly assert a position on what artistic practice can mean.
nbk: What are your plans?
F. A.: In the initial discussions, there was a surprisingly open atmosphere. I want to approach the role with that same openness. A lot has changed over the past 20 years since the founding of Künstlerhaus: Stuttgart now hosts several exhibition venues run by artists, and even within the academies there are more frequent visiting professorships. This allows me to focus on other priorities. For example, I’m interested in the constructive dynamics that websites, performances, or institutions themselves are subject to—and how this might relate to a Künstlerhaus in transition. From the outside, one might not realize that the institution is essentially divided into two parts: the temporarily appointed artistic director, responsible for the open programming; and the ongoing administrative leadership, which takes care of the members’ interests and oversees the various workshops. This combination gives the house its distinctive character. As can be seen from the selection of previous directors, this artist-founded space has built up enough experience to continue taking unconventional approaches—willing to take risks rather than playing it safe.
nbk: Why do you think you were selected?
F. A.: Perhaps because of my working background? My role as an artist? Perhaps as a signal? I’ve known Stuttgart for thirteen years. It was the first German city I came to, and I’ve known the Künstlerhaus for almost as long. Working in Germany has played an important role in my artistic development, and it means a lot to me that this is happening at a time when a “foreigner,” which I still am—and as one can easily tell from my broken German—that decision was made.
nbk: Do you see directing the Künstlerhaus as a continuation of your previous artistic work?
F. A.: This position never conformed to the conventions of a curator or manager. The parameters will certainly shift entirely over the next two years—but, as in my previous work, I’m committed to a content-driven dialogue between theory and practice.
nbk: Where do you see the biggest challenges—and the opportunities?
F. A.: Prejudices. And the opportunities? I didn’t come in with a fixed plan but instead proposed responding to discussions—for example, around the institution’s own self-understanding. The fact that this openness is coming from both sides makes it an ideal starting point for 1999.