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the horror, the horror, the horrorHarald Szeemann and the ArchiveApril 26, 2018 May 30, 2018
This exhibition is not about Harald Szeemann and his 1975 traveling exhibition The Bachelor Machines, nor is it about sexual difference. It is not located here, nor there. Yet it does not aim toward a set of indeterminate, open-ended interpretations, where meaning is subjective or endlessly deferred. Through the connective body of our โarchive,โ this exhibition aspires to open up a third domain in which the figure of Szeemann is purged.
The horror, the horror, the horror: Harald Szeemann and the Archive comes as the result of an invitation to critically comment on Szeemannโs The Bachelor Machines, an exhibition which first took place at the Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland. Its primary motive is methodological. We, the curators, ask a question that has informed our entire process: is it possible to produce a dialectical argument in curatorial terms?
Initially intended as a critical response to The Bachelor Machines, our show sought to question the myth-producing thematic exhibition as canonized by Szeemann. Such an exhibition is one that appears as a purported organic unity, in which the activities that led to its production are disregarded in favor of a comprehensive and unified narrative woven through the objects on display. In his role as exhibition-maker, Szeemann also established the figure of the independent, and often authoritative, curator as we know it today โ a position within the art field which has greatly enhanced the dominance of this type of exhibition.
We aimed for a collaborative, process-oriented approach that would serve to reveal the tensions and disagreements inherent to the exhibitionโs production, and highlight the risk of the erasure of differences, which typically accompanies a singular, curator-authored theme. But rather than merely displaying a social network, we resolved to produce a show that was about something. A disjuncture became apparent between the two strands of our thinking: the necessity for a โthemeโ on the one hand, and our desire to reveal our working process on the other. For the former, we proposed to return to what was overlooked in Szeemannโs premise for his exhibition: the question of sexuality.
the horror, the horror, the horrorHarald Szeemann and the Archive
In his inclusion of Marcel Duchampโs The Large Glass (or The Bride Stripped Bare of Her Bachelors, Even; 1915-1923), Szeemann curiously ignores the upper half of Duchampโs two-paneled mixed media work that is made up of โthe brideโ and titles his exhibition after the lower half, which is composed of โthe nine malic mouldsโ or โthe bachelor machines.โ The curator thus erases the question of sexual difference inscribed in Duchampโs work. We returned to Duchampโs The Large Glass in its entirety and reintroduced the psychoanalytic term of sexual difference, which, since the 1970s, has retreated in favor of the more popular term โgender.โ We welcomed wide-ranging and contradictory positions from the artists to whom we proposed this โtheme,โ and strove to expose the clashes of discourses, political tendencies, and personal proclivities in order to consider the possibilities and failures of collaboration as a working method.
The thematic exhibition we were putting forward, however, was corrective in character and remained entrapped within a binary still haunted by Szeemannโs specter. It is here that we returned to the second strand of our thinking and asked ourselves: how can the documentation of our process propose a third route that is not reducible to neither a Szeemannian thematic exhibition, nor its corrective? We did not have access to Szeemannโs enormous archive, but we found ourselves amassing a monstrous body of our own - a Frankenstein! Through the documentation of our process, including email exchanges, audio recordings, and visual material, we carved out a space in our display that evades the thematic exhibition on sexual difference and the aura of Szeemannโs methods. In preparing a show about something โ one meant to take a distance from Szeemann and his curatorial practice โ we produced an exhibition that is not really about something. Rather, it engages with the very process of exhibition-making by exposing its apparatus.
Through unmasking meta-questions related to the apparatus of exhibition-making, this exhibition is a proposal that only exists negatively, via the confrontation between our curatorial position and the artistsโ contributions on one level, and in the clash between a thematic exhibition and the documentation of its
process on another. The horror, the horror, the horror attempts to resolve the disjuncture between a unified whole and the process by which it is produced; thus, it acknowledges Szeemann, and his methods, yet it firmly refuses to reproduce his myth.
Ziad AbillamaHaig AivazianLana BarakehKaram GhousseinHiba KalacheJean-Marc NahasDmitri SarkisovRania StephanCultures of the Curatorial
Natasha Gasparian, Lama El Khatib, Nare Sahakyan, and Yassmeen Tukan
Participants
ุงูู ุณููุชูู ุงุฃูููุ ูุงูุชุตููุงุฏู ุจูููู ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ุงูู ูุถูุนููู ูุงููุซุงุฆููู ุงูู ุชุนููููุฉ ุจู ุฑุงุญููู ุงูุชุงุฌููู ุนูููู ู ุณููุชูู ุงุขูุฎููุฑ. ูุญููุงูู ูููุฐุง ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ยป ุงูุฑุนููุจุ ุงูุฑุนููุจุ ุงูุฑุนููุจ " ูููู ุญููู ุงูุฎููุงู ุจูููู ููููุฑุฉ ุงููุญููุฏุฉ ุงูู ุชูุงู ูููุฉ
ูุนู ููููุฉ ุฅูุชุงุฌูููุงุ ุจุญูููุซ ุฃูููู ูุนุชููุฑู ุจุฒูู ููุงู ูุฃุณููุงููุจู ููุฑูููุถ ุฅุนููุงุฏุฉ ุงูุชููุงุฌ ุฃุณููุทูุฑุชู.
ุฒูุงุฏ ุงุจู ูู ุนูุงูู ุฃููุฒูุงู
ุงููุง ุจุฑูุฉูุฑู ุบุตูู
ูุจุฉ ููุดุฌูู-ู ุงุฑู ูุญุงุณ
ุฏู ูุชุฑู ุณุฑููุณููุฑุงููุง ุงุณุทูุงู
ุซูุงูุงุช ุงูุชูููู
ูุงุชุงุดููุง ูุณููุจุฑูุงูุ ูู ููู ุงูุฎุทูุจุ ูุงุฑู ุณููุงูุงููุงูุ ูุงุณููู ูู ุทููุงู
ููู ุฑ ูู ุดุง ุง
ุชุฌุงููู ูู ูุฑุถูุฉ ุฒูู ุงู ูู ู ุนุฑุถู: ุฃุงู ููู ู ุณููุฃูุฉ ุงูุฌูุณููุงููุฉ.
ููู ููุฉ ู ููุฑูุณ ุงูุนุงุฑู ููุง "ุงูุน ููู ุฃูุถ ููุงุฑู ุจ ููุง ูุชุน ููุฑ" ุงู ุจู ููุงุฌ ุงููุจู ููุงู ุจ " ุงูุฒุฌ ูููู ุฏูุด ููู ู ุงุฑุณ ููู ูุนู ููู ุฅุฏุฑุงุฌ ูุนุฒุงุจูููุงุ ุญุชูููุ ูกูฉูกูฅ - ูกูฉูขูฃ"ุ ุชุฌุงูููู ุฒูู ููุงู ุนูููู ูุญููู ู ุซูููุฑ ูููุถูููู ุงููุณููู ุงูุนููููู ู ููู ุนู ููู ุฏูุดููุงู ุจ ุงูู ููููู ู ููู ูุณููู ููุ ุงููุณููู ุงุฃููู ูููู " ุงูุนููุฑูุณ " ุ ุจููู ููุง ุฃุฎุฐ ุงููุณููู ุงูุณููููู "ุชุณููุนุฉ ููุงูุจ ู ููู ุงูู ุงููู" ุฃู "ุขุงูุช ุงูุนุงุฒุจููุฉ" ุนููุงูููุง ูู ุนุฑุถููู. ููููู ุจูููุฐุง ุงุฃูุณููููุจ ูู ุญููู ู ุณููุฃูุฉ ุงุงูุฎุชููุงู ุงูุฌูุณููู ุงูุธุงูููุฑ ูููู ุนู ููู ุฏูุดููุงู ุจ. ุนุฏูููุง ุฅูููู ุนู ููู ุฏูุดููุงู ุจ " ุงูุฒุฌููุงุฌ ุงููุจูููุฑ" ูุงูุชุฑุญูููุง ุฅุนููุงุฏุฉ ุฅุฏุฎููุงู ู ุตุทูููุญ ุงูุชุญููููู ุงูููุณููู ูุงุฎุชุงูููุงุช ุงูุฌูุณูููุฉ ุงูุญุงุถููุฑ ุจููููุฉ ูููู ุณููุจุนูููุงุช ุงููููุฑู ุงูู ุงุถููู ุงูููุฐู ุงุณููุชุจุฏู ุจุงูู ุตุทูููุญ ุงูุดููุงุฆุน ุงูููููู ุฃุงู ููููู "ุงูุฌูููุฏุฑ". ุฑุญุจูููุง ุจุชุนููุฏุฏ ู ูุงูููู ุงูููุงููููู ุงูุฐูููู ุทุฑุญูููุง ุนูููููู ูููุฐุง "ุงูู ูุถูููุน". ูุณููุนููุง ูููู ูููู ููุงุช ุนูููู ูููุฐุง ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ุงูููู ูุดููู ุงูุชุตุงุฏู ููุงุช ุงูู ุชูุงุฌููุฏุฉ ูููู ุงูููููุฑ ู ุงุงููุญูุงุฒูููุงุช ุงูุณูุงุณูููุฉ ู ุงูุฑุบุจ
ุงูุดููุฎุตูุฉุ ูููุธููุฑ ูููู ุฅู ูุงููููุงุช ูุฌููุงุญ ุฃุณููููุจ ุงูุชุนููุงูู ูููู ุฅูุชููุงุฌ ุงูู ุนููุงุฑุถ.
ู ููุน ุฐูููู ุ ูุงู ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ุงูู ูุถูุนููู ุงูููุฐู ูุถุนูููุงู ุฃู ุงู ูููุง ุชุตุญูุญูููุง ูููู ุทุจุนูููุ ูุจูููู ุนุงููููุง ุฏุงุฎููู ุซูุงุฆูููุฉ ููุฉ ููู ูุนู ูู ูููุง: ูู ููุฃููุง ุฃููุณ ููุงุ ูุณ ููู ุชูููุฑู ููุฉ ู ููุฉ ุงูุซุงูู ููู ุงูู ูุงุฑุจ ููุง ุฅู ููุง ุนุฏู ููุงู. ููู ููุฎุตูุฉ ุฒูู ููุฉ ุจุด ู ุงุซูุชูุซูููู ุงุฅููุชููุงุฌ ุงูู ูููุฏุฑุฉ ุนูููู ุฅุธูููุงุฑ ุงูุจุนููุฏ ุงูุซุงูููุซ ุงูููุฐู ุงู ูู ูููู ุงุฎุชุฒุงูููู ูููู ูู ููุท ยปุฒูู ุงููููยซ )ูุณููุจุฉ ุฅูููู ุฒูู ููุงู( ุ ูุงู ูููุถููู ุงูุชุตุญูุญูููุ ูููู ููููู ูุฏููููุง ุฅู ูุงููููุฉ ุงููุตูููู ุฅูููู ุฃุฑุดูููู ุฒูู ููุงู ุงููุงุฆู ุ ููููููุง ูุฌุฏูุง ููุง ุ ุณูููุงุก ูุงู ุฐูููู ู ููู ููุง - ููููู ูุฑุงูููุดููุชุงูู! ู ููุน ุชูุซูููู ูุนู ููุชู ุฎููุงุต ุจู
ุฃููุณูููุง ูุฌู ููุน ุฌุณููุฏุง ูุญุดูููุง
ุฎููุงู ุงูุญูููุงุฑุงุช ุนุจููุฑ ุงูุจุฑูููุฏ ุงุฅูููุชุฑูููููุ ูุงูุชุณููุฌูุงุช ุงูุตูุชูููุฉ ูุงูู ูููุงุฏ ุงูุจุตุฑูููุฉุ ููู ูููุง ุจุชูููููุฑ ู ุณููุงุญุฉ ุฎุงุตููุฉ ูููู ู ุนุฑุถูููุง ุชุจุชุนููุฏ ุนููู ูุทููุงู ู ุจููุฏุฃ ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ุงูู ูุถูุนููู ูุนููู ุงุฎุชููุงู ุงูุฌูุณููู ููุงูููุฉ ุฃุณููุงููุจ ู ู ููุฌูููุฉ ุฒูู ููุงู. ุฎููุงู ุฅุนููุฏุงุฏ ู ุนููุฑุถ ุญูููู ุดูููุก ู ููุง โ ูู ูููุง ุจุงูุชููุงุฌ ู ุนููุฑุถ ุงู ูุชุนูููู ุญูููููุฉ ุจุดูููุกุ ููููููู
ูุชูุงุนููู ู ููุน ุนู ููููุฉ ุตูููุน ุงูู ุนููุงุฑุถ ุจุญููุฏ ุฐุงุชูููุง ุ ู ููู ุฎููุงู ุฅุธูููุงุฑ ุฌูุงุฒูููุง.
ู ููู ุฎููุงู ูุดููู ุงููุซููุงู ุนููู ุงุฃูุณููุฆูุฉ ุงูู ุชุฏุงุฎูููุฉ ุงูู ุชุนููููุฉ ุจุฌูููุงุฒ ุฅูุชููุงุฌ ุงูู ุนููุงุฑุถุ ูููุฅู ูููุฐุง ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ููููุณ ุฅุงู ู ูุชููุฑุญุ ุงู ูุชูุงุฌููุฏ ุฅุงู ุจุดูููู ุณูููุจูุ ู ููู ุฎููุงู ู ูุงุฌูููุฉ ุจูููู ู ููููููุง ูููู ูููู ูู ุณููุงูู ุงุช ุงูููููุงู ุนูููู
ูููุฐุง ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ููููุณ ุนููู ูุงุฑููููุฏ ุฒูู ููุงู ูู ุนุฑุถููู ุงูู ุชููููู "ุงุขูุงูุช ุงูุนุงุฒุจููุฉ" )ูกูฉูงูฅ( ูุงู ุนููู ุงุฎุชุงูููุงุช ุงูุฌูุณูููุฉ. ุฅุฐ ุงู ูู ูููู ุงูุนุซูููุฑ ุนููููู ูููู ูููุฐุง ุฃู ุฐุงูุ ูุงู ูุทู ููุญ ุฅูููู ุณููุฑุฏ ุนููุฏุฏ ู ููู ุงูุชูุณูููุฑุงุชุ ุญูููุซ ุงูู ุนูููู ุฐุงุชููู ูู ุชุนููุฏุฏ ุฅูููู ู ููุง ุงู ููุงูููุฉ. ููููุฏู ูููุฐุง ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ุฅูููู ูุชููุญ ู ุถู ูููู ูุจุนููุฏ ุซุงูููุซ ู ููู ุฎููุงู
ููุฏุฃ "ุงุฃูุฑุดูููู" ูุฅุจุนููุงุฏ ุดููุฎุตูุฉ ุฒูู ููุงู ูุชุทููุฑูููุง. ููุฑุงุฒ ู ุจ ุฅุจ
โุงูุฑุนููุจุ ุงูุฑุนููุจุ ุงูุฑุนููุจ: ูุงุฑููููุฏ ุฒูู ููุงู ูุงุฃูุฑุดููููโ ูุฃุชููู ููุชูุฌููุฉ ุฏุนูููุฉ ููุชุนููููู ุนูููู ู ุนููุฑุถ ุฏุงูุนููู ุณููุณููุฑุง. ุจูููุฑูโุ โูููุณููุชุงู ูููู ุงุฃูููููู ููู ููุฑุฉ ุฃููููู ุงูููุฐู ุงูุนุงุฒุจููุฉโุ โุงุขูุงูุช ุฒูู ููุงู ูููู ููุฆูุฉ ุญ ููู ุงุฃูุณ ููุฏ ู ููุฑุญ ุงูุนุฏู ููุง ูุท ููุฑุถุ ูุฅูู ููู ุงูู ุน ููู ุนู ููุง ููู ู ููู ุจูุตูู ูููโู ูุซูููุฌูโ. ููุญ ุงูุฑุฆูุณู ููุฌูููุฉ ุนู ููููุง ููููู: ูููู ู ููู ุงูู ู ูููู ุฅูุชููุงุฌ ุฃุณููุฆูุฉ ุฏูุงููุชูููููุฉ ูุฅุดูููุงููุฉ ู ููู ุฎููุงู ูุบููุฉ ูู ู ุงุฑุณููุฉ
ุงูุชูููููู ุ
ูุงุณููุชุฌุงุจุฉ ููุฏูููุฉ ุนูููู ู ุนููุฑุถ ุฒูู ููุงู โุงุขูุงูุช ุงูุนุงุฒุจููุฉโ ุทู ููุญ ู ุนุฑุถูููุง ุฅูููู ุทููุฑุญ ุชุณููุงุคุงูุช ุญูููู ุฅูุชุงุฌูููุฉ โุงูุฎุฑุงูููุฉโ ุงูุชููู ุชุชูููู ู ููุน ู ูุถูุนูููุฉ ุงูู ุนููุงุฑุถุ ุงูุชููู ุฃุดูููุฑูุง ุฒูู ููุงู. ููุดููู ู ุนููุฑุถ ุฒูู ููุงู ุนููู ููุญ ููุฑุถ ูุตุงู ููุฐุง ุงูู ุน ููุงุฌ ู ููู ุงูุช ููู ุฃุฏุช ุฅู ููุทุฉ ุงูุช ููุน ุงุฃููุด ููู ุฌู ู ููุง ุชุฌุงู ููู ุฎุงูู ููู ู ููุฉ ูุช ููุฏุฉ ุนุถูู ูุญููุน ููู ุนููุงุฑุถ ุ ุฃูุดููุฃ ุฒูู ููุงู ุณููุฑุฏ ุดููุงู ู ูู ูุญููุฏ ู ูุณูููุฌ ู ููู ุฎููุงู ุงุฃูุนู ููุงู ุงูู ุนุฑูุถููุฉ. ูููู ุฏูุฑู ูุตุงูููู ุฏูุฑ ูููู ุ ูู ููู ุงูู ููุง ูุนุฑู ููุงูุ ูู ููู ุงุฃูุญู ููุฑ ู ููู ูุซู ูููุทุฑ ู ููุชููุ ูุงูู ุณ ููู ุ ุงูู ุณ ููุฎุตูุฉ ุงููู ููุง ุด ุฃูุถ
ุฏุงุฎููู ุงูู ุฌููุงู ุงูููููู ุงูููุฐู ุนููุฒุฒ ุจุดูููู ูุจูููุฑ ููู ูููุฉ ูููุฐุง ุงูููููุน ู ููู ุงูู ุนููุงุฑุถ.
ุทู ุญูููุง ุฅูููู ุชุฃุณูููุณ ุฃุณููููุจ ู ุจูููู ุนูููู ุงูุชุนููุงูู ุจูููู ุงูููู ูููู ูุงูููุงูููููุ ู ุณููุนููุง ุฅูููู ุงููุดููู ููุงุช ููู ุงุงูุฎุชุงู ููู ู ุญ ุน
ููุง ููุงุฑุถ ุ ูุถ ููุงุฌ ุงูู ุน ููุฉ ุฅูุช ููู ุนู ูู ููุฉ ู ููุงุช ุงูู ุชุฃุตู ููุฑุงุช ูุงูุชุจุงูู ููุน ุงูุชูุช ููู ุฌู ู ุน
ู ููู ู ุฌููุฑุฏ ุนููุฑุถ ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ุงูู ูุถูุนููู ุงููุงุฆููู ุนูููู ููููู ุงููุงุญููุฏ. ูุจููุฏุงู
ุงูู ุชุนููุฏุฏุฉ ุงูุชููู ุชุฑุงูููู ุนููุงุฏุฉ
ุดููุจูุฉ ุงุฌุชู ุงุนูููุฉ ุ ูุฑุฑูููุง ุฅูุชููุงุฌ ุนููุฑุถ โุญูููู ุดูููุก ู ููุง โุ ุจู ููุง ุฌุนููู ุงููุตููู ุจูููู ู ูุงุฑุจุชูููู ูููู ุชูููุฑูููุง ุ ุถููุฑูุฑุฉ ุงูุชุนุงู ููู ู ููุน ู ูุถูููุน ูููุฐุง ุงูู ุนููุฑุถ ู ููู ุฌูููุฉุ ูุฑุบุจุชูููุง ูููู ุฅุธูููุงุฑ ุชูุซูููู ุงูุนู ููููุฉ
ุฌููููุง
ุฃู ููุฑุง
ุงูุชููู ุฃุฏุช ุฅูููู ุฅูุชููุงุฌ ู ุนุฑุถูููุง ู ููู ุฌูููุฉ ุฃุฎููุฑู. ุงูุชุฑุญูููุง, ุจุงููุณููุจุฉ ูุทุฑุญูููุง ุงุฃูููุ ุงูุนูููุฏุฉ ุฅูููู ู ููุง ุชููู
ุงูุฑุนุจุ ุงูุฑุนุจุ ุงูุฑุนุจ ูุงุฑููุฏ ุฒูู ุงู ู ุงุฃูุฑุดูู
Plan of The Bachelor Machines at the Venice Biennial, 1975Sketch by Harald SzeemannHarald Szeemann with by through because towards despite: Catalogue of All Exhibitions
(Left)
(Right) Plan of the horror, the horror, the horror at the AUB Byblos Bank Art Gallery,2018Sketch by Nare Sahakyan
Program
The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni, 2011Rania Stephan
Film Program
Screening Times April 26, 2018, 7:30pmMay 18, 2018, 6 pmMay 30, 2018, 6 pm + Q&A
American University of Beirut
Director, AUB Art Galleries and Collections
Rico Franses
Hala AujiAhmad El-GharbieLina GhaibehDaniele GenadryOctavian EsanuRico FransesKirsten Schied
AUB Art Galleries and Collections Steering Committee
CuratorsNatasha GasparianLama El KhatibNare SahakyanYassmeen Tukan
Administrative Officer and Exhibition CoordinatorDania Dabbousi
Graphic DesignLama El Khatib
Technical SupportYamen RajehGeorge IssaWissam MerhiHassan BaracatHaytham Ali Ahmad
TranslationYassmeen Tukan Ziad Abdallah
Acknowledgments We are grateful to Beatrice von Bismarck for trusting us with this project, and for offering much-needed guidance, while also allowing us to work through our own difficulties. Thank you to Dania Dabbousi, Rico Franses, and Octavian Esanu for their logistical support; to Saleh Barakat for his help in making the impossible happen; to Hala Auji, Angela Harutyunyan, and Nadia Bou Ali for their generous feedback; and to the MA Cultures of the Curatorial group who shared our pain and helped us come to realizations about our process.
the horror, the horror, the horrorHarald Szeemann and the Archive
the horror, the horror, the horrorHarald Szeemann and the Archive