Farzane im ZKM

The artist with a question mark to the ZKM instead of the head

Hello, my name is Farzane. I am a visual artist from Iran and I am invited to the ZKM to share my impressions in this blog. I am very excited to explore the wide range of activities that ZKM offers and to get in contact with you.

To express my thoughts and feelings, I will work with drawings, words and images. In this way I want to better understand the many dimensions of the ZKM, its tools and techniques and use this knowledge to create meaningful and impactful artworks.

But first, I am left with many questions.

 

One institution – a hundred question marks

I'm not sure if I'm in an art museum, a media hub, or a black hole! The idea of having an institution like ZKM is intriguing, but I can't help but wonder:

  • Is the ZKM really more than a »white cube« or a »black box«?
     
  • Can it bring people together, or are we doomed to just stare at screens and pretend we're connecting? 
     
  • How could the ZKM cure technophobia? 
     
  • Will ZKM's futuristic vibe make you feel like a cyborg or rather remind you of a sci-fi movie set?
     
  • What do artists really need from an institution like the ZKM – besides free coffee, Wi-Fi, and a good spot for Instagram selfies? 
     
  • If the ZKM were a person, what kind of artist would it be? A conceptual minimalist, a maximalist maximalist, or something in between? 
     
  • What do you get when you cross a media artist with a ZKM curator? A thought-provoking exhibit, or a never-ending debate about the definition of »media art«? 
     
  • Does the ZKM have a secret underground bunker where all its archived media works are kept?

You decide which question I will pursue further (on Instagram, on Facebook). If you have your own questions, feel free to ask them in the comments! I would be happy to find answers with this blog. Together we can make the ZKM our house, too.

By Farzane Vaziritabar