Vienna
Completed

Yael Bartana: 'Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum.' An Exhibition Exploring Identity and History

This installation convenes Sigmund Freud and Theodor Herzl to question collective imagination and historical reconciliation.

Yael Bartana's thought-provoking exhibition, 'Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum. Fragen an Herzl und Freud,' explores profound questions of identity and collective imagination. Through a performance-based installation, Bartana brings together Sigmund Freud and Theodor Herzl, probing themes of historical reconciliation and societal change. The work examines history and self-image, using charged imagery to prompt critical reflection on its enduring allure.

About Yael Bartana: Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum. Fragen an Herzl und Freud at Secession in Vienna

Read curatorial context and practical visitor information for Yael Bartana: Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum. Fragen an Herzl und Freud at Secession in Vienna

Exhibition summary

This exhibition by Yael Bartana centers on the performance and installation titled 'Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum. Fragen an Herzl und Freud.' It brings together the spirits of Sigmund Freud and Theodor Herzl to explore themes of identity, collective consciousness, and historical redemption.

Curatorial context

The exhibition 'Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum. Fragen an Herzl und Freud' by Yael Bartana engages with profound questions about identity, collective imagination, and historical reconciliation. At its core is a performance that poses queries to the spiritual figures of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, and Theodor Herzl, the visionary of a Jewish state. Bartana positions them as the spiritual deities of her fictional Jewish Renaissance Movement in Poland (JRMiP), founded in 2007 to drive societal change through political imagination. The installation itself is conceived as a 'temple of utopia,' where Bartana unites Freud and Herzl to foster a moment of collective awareness and awaken the spirit of history in search of answers. The exhibition draws parallels between the proximity of their former residences in Vienna and the institutional architecture of the Secession building, itself built as a 'temple of art.' The work critically examines history and self-image, particularly concerning Israel, using charged imagery akin to political propaganda to prompt viewers to question its enduring allure. This exhibition also establishes a connection to Austria, investigating whether a return to the site of past transgressions can bring about hoped-for atonement.

Admission and ticket notes

Visitors can purchase tickets for the Secession through the provided link, which directs to an external ticketing platform. General opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM.

Yael Bartana: Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum. Fragen an Herzl und Freud key exhibition facts

Review exhibition status, schedule, venue context, and attribution details for Yael Bartana: Wenn Ihr wollt, ist es kein Traum. Fragen an Herzl und Freud at Secession in Vienna

Venue
Secession
Current status
Completed
Exhibition schedule
Dec 7, 2012 – Feb 10, 2013
Artist line / attribution
The exhibition features Yael Bartana, born in 1970 in Kfar-Yehezkel, Israel, who lives and works in Tel Aviv and Amsterdam.
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