Project

Since late 1992, in an initiative of her own, Helke Bayrle has been using her video camera to film exhibitions in Portikus as they are being constructed. Helke Bayrle’s entire archive to date of 157 video films is accessible to the public at www.portikusunderconstruction.de This decision also provides proof that the archive is nowhere near complete and will keep growing in the years to come.

Helke Bayrle’s films go beyond the documentary. They are subjective and intimate observations of the artists’ personalities and the process involved in staging individual exhibitions. What makes Helke Bayrle’s films special is the continuity of her work and her open approach. While filming she follows a different logic corresponding to the situation. In a playful and reflective way she then condenses this material into short films that are richly varied.

Portikus has been housed in three different locations. Portikus Under Construction reveals the history of this exhibition venue and the diversity of the artistic interventions in its different rooms.

With support from Städelschule Portikus e.V.