HOLY DAMN IT

On the Urgent Need for Radical Answers

The art project HOLY DAMN IT has to be seen as an artistic intervention in the process of a political debate about social alternatives in the international protest and resistance movements against the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm near Rostock in 2007.
Ten international artists and artist collectives from four continents have created one poster each.

Artists:

• bankleer (D)
  

• open circle (Indien)
  

• Mansour Ciss/Laboratoire
  

• Déberlinisation (Senegal)
  

• Markus Dorfmüller (D)
  

• Petra Gerschner (D)
  

• Marina Grzinic (Slowenien)
  

• Ibrahim Mozain/Artists Without Walls (Israel/Palästina)
  

• Oliver Ressler (A)
  

• Walter Seidl (A)
  

• Allan Sekula (USA)

The artistic contributions deal with the hegemonic conditions and current issues about social movements against capitalist globalization: privatization, exploitation of human beings and resources, war, torture, escalating military mobilization from within as well as to the outside as a permanent state of exception, sexist violence and patriarchal as well as racist models of dominance. Moreover, the project deals with the power of global image (re-)production within capitalism and the development of ideas about of an emancipative and solidarity-oriented culture and society.
Each poster of the ten artists and artist groups will be printed 5.000 times in A 2 format, 4-c, and distributed: The posters will be handed out for free to various groups mobilizing against the summit.
HOLY DAMN IT can also be seen as the start for a long-term project of communication and exchange of ideas between artistic production and intervention as well as between the various perspectives on current views of the world.
Posters are not restricted to special sites of presentation. They can appear in various places, counter social mainstream and use public space as a place for action and reflection. From mid-April 2007, there will be presentations of the project in various cities, mostly in art institutions which operate strongly in-between art and politics. There, the posters will be available to be taken home for free. For massive spreading of the posters, they can also be ordered at www.holy-damn-it.org.
Moreover, there will be a limited edition of 200 copies (of all 10 posters) signed by the artists, which can be sold. The money should be donated to victims who were arbitrarily violated by the police during summit protests.

Venues for exhibitions, presentations and events:
(subject to change)

• Berlin 26 April 7.30 pm Neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst (NGBK), event and opening of the exhibition, until 13 May
• Berlin globale 07 von 9. bis 16 Mai
• Ljubljana 18 April until 22 Mai Gallery Alkatraz und Info shop/Menza pri Koritu (AKC Metelkova city) in cooperation with Social center Rog
• Graz as of 28 April at Forum Stadtpark
• Karlsruhe 2 May until 12 May Bento, 2 May 7 pm opening
• Belgrad kontekst galerija
  3. Mai Public space - plateau in front of Belgrade Youth Cultural Center + hall inside

• Aarhus Artspace rum46, WORKafFAIR 30. April - 6. Mai
• Bourges France la box,<> (re)action – 5. bis 7. Mai
• München Basis Buchhandlung 27. April bis 8. Juni
• Köln Allerweltshaus 1. bis 31. Mai und Bürgerzentrum Alte Feuerwache ab 5.Mai
• Düsseldorf 2. Mai bis 9. Juni Linkes Zentrum Hinterhof
• Bern 5 May 2-10 pm, Gib8 - streetfestival against G8, Lorrainestrasse and as of 5 May at Kulturzentrum Reitschule
• Zurich as of 11 May at Shedhalle
• Bucharest May 11 until 25 May Pavilion magazine at Desant center, activities on the street and with a debate
• Kiel 17 May until 9 June Exhibition "Ohnmacht" at Muthesius Kunsthochschule, Maschinenhaus, 17 May 8 pm opening
• Kiel 18 May 8 pm event and presentation "AntiCapitalismArt" at Hansastr. 48 in the frame of "Move against G8" warm-up-festival
• Maribor, Slovenia at Pekarna, part of Magdalena, International Festival of Creative Communication von 17. bis 27.Mai
• Hamburg kunsthaus 15. Mai until 3. Juni
• Hamburg 21 May 7 pm event and presentation at Rote Flora
• Molodova June 6 until June 15, young artists association oberliht, exhibition centre "constantin Brancusi", chinisinau, moldavia
• Zagreb Galerija PM ab 7. Juni
• Vienna Fluc presentation 1 June
• Rostock 1 June until 9 June

For the support of the project HOLY DAMN IT we want to thank: Neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst (NGBK) Berlin, Stiftung do, InSight e.V., Stiftung Umverteilen, Forum Stadtpark Graz, medico international, feld für kunst/ Hamburg, fluc/Vienna