Aus den Fugen — Momente der Störung

An exhibition in two chapters with works from the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst’s collection by !Mediengruppe Bitnik, Lynda Benglis, Vanessa Billy, Alighiero Boetti, Christoph Büchel, Andrea Fraser, Guerrilla Girls, Fabrice Gygi, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Gianni Motti, Cady Noland, Yuri Pattison, Pipilotti Rist, Katharina Sieverding, Hito Steyerl, et al.

Chapter 1: January 29–May 1, 2022
Chapter 2: May 21–September 11, 2022

The exhibition Aus den Fugen. Momente der Störung (English: Out of joint. Moments of disruption) gathers works from the collection that relate to disturbing events, phenomena, and actions. Our relationship with our world is informed by frequent disturbances. Some manifest as the soft grinding of sand in the gears, briefly stalling the familiar course of everyday routines; others are dramatic and radical disruptions that shatter our reality. As we grapple with the new world around us, we may catch a glimpse of the constructed nature of what we think of as the normal way of things. Like individuals, society as a whole, systems, and institutions time and again find themselves under pressure to respond to unexpected events or acts of disruption that challenge their regular operations and seek to subvert or overthrow them. Irritating, debilitating, destabilizing, such disturbing incidents have the potential to expose systemic functionalities and throw structural interconnections into relief. In this way, disruption can be productive, too. Acts of disruption aimed at prevailing power structures can be articulations of critique and resistance. Its effects may be felt on a symbolic level, undermining or displacing narratives or significances. Not uncommonly, disturbances spark change. The exhibition features disruptive moments in a variety of roles: in some instances, real-world events inspire works of art; in others, it is the works themselves that act as disruptors in specific societal or institutional contexts. In addition to the critical and illuminating potentials that can be at play here, the presentation also explores the spaces of possibility that irritation and destabilization can unlock.

Curator: Nadia Schneider Willen (Collection Curator, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst)
Curatorial assistant: Viktor Hömpler (Trainee, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst)