Christian Jankowski

With hula hoop or karaoke in the museum, teleshopping at an art fair, or a cooking show at the Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Christian Jankowski finds a satiric haven in the entertainment world and art scene. Using popular mass media formats he investigates the roles of art, entertainment, and global marketing strategies in our society: Transformed into a child, a museum director presents his institution. In an opening at the Kunstverein the audience mutates into a herd of sheep and ambles through the exhibition space. The artist seeks the help of a fortune-teller appearing on Italian television to forecast his success in the coming Venice Biennale. The interplay of the comic and serious runs like a thread through all of his videos.

Even though Christian Jankowski (b. 1968 in Göttingen) is an internationally acclaimed artist and has had numerous exhibitions all over the world, this presentation in the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart was the first comprehensive exhibition of his work in Germany. The focal point of the solo exhibition and surprise for visitors was a work created by the artist especially for the event.