Thu, May 12, 2022, 7pm – 8pm

Monumental buildings and public statues are mostly constructed with very clear intentions: to serve the prevalent ideology. But when the political tide changes, monuments need to move with the times, or risk being demolished. In order to survive, they can transform and change meaning in irrational ways. Think of the Genius of Fascism, a statue in Rome, which transformed into Genius of Sport. Monuments can even resurrect themselves after having been destroyed. Think of the Berliner Schloss, which returned as the Humboldt Forum.

In his lecture, Esper Postma analyses the irrational aspects of monuments by treating them as subjects. He does so by using a motif that explores the depths of human psychology: the motif of the doppelgänger. He traces the way that doppelgängers have featured in literature, cinema and psychoanalysis – and shows how we can use the motif to understand one of the big mysteries of our time: monuments transforming and reproducing themselves.

Esper Postma explores ideologies embedded in cultural heritage. Postma‘s works show how familiar spaces, objects and icons can allow for a plethora of meanings. Postma studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam (2011), the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main (2015) and the BPA// Berlin program for artists (2020). Recent solo exhibitions include Face Fear at Villa Romana in Florence, Salome at the Westfälischer Kunstverein in Münster, Rebis at Stadtmuseum Lindau and Por Algo Será at P/////AKT in Amsterdam. He took part in group exhibitions at ArtVerona, Gropius Bau Berlin, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Hotel Maria Kapel Hoorn, Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK) Frankfurt am Main a.o. In 2021, Postma was a research fellow of Villa Romana in Florence and the Kunsthistorisches Institut Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut. He was nominated for the Future of Europe prize in 2017 and received the DAAD prize in 2014.

As part of the Villa Romana Fellows 2019/2020/2021 exhibition.

Participation is included in the admission fee.

Lecture in English language

Kunstverein Braunschweig
Lessingplatz 12
38100 Braunschweig

Tue – Fri
Thu
Sat, Sun
12 pm – 6 pm
12 pm – 8 pm
11 am – 6 pm