Aus dem Lager:
Sich im Lager zu orientieren fällt niemanden schwer, es wird einem alles sehr einfach gemacht. So einfach wie die Ausstattung, zweckgebunden und karg, so kurz sind auch die Wege und so lang sind die Zeiten, die hier verbracht werden können. Mitgenommen haben wir fast gar nichts, uns auf das Wesentliche beschränkt. In den Morgenstunden wurde uns Wasser gereicht, in den Mittagsstunden ein wenig Schatten durch das weit sichtbare Feldzeichen. Nach zwei Wochen war alles vorbei.

Jürgen Witte

Vi aspettiamo!

L'Hotel Italia è situato tra Gallipoli e Santa Maria di Leuca, nella romantica cittadina di
Acquarica del Capo, a circa 60 Km dall'antica città di Lecce. L'Hotel esercita una grande attrazione sugli esseri umani di tutte le nazionalità.

L'Hotel Italia è stato aperto all'inizio dell'estate 2003, ed è localizzato al centro di un posto
storico nel Nord di Acquarica del Capo. L'ottima connessione con le principali vie di
comunicazione e la buona viabilità lo rende particolarmente interessante come punto di
partenza ideale per lo sviluppo di ulteriori attività.

Nell'hotel tutte le stanze sono dotate di cucina, bagno, lavatrice e di quattro posti letto. Le
stanze sono inoltre predisposte per l'installazione di televisioni, radio, e altri sistemi di telecomunicazioni. L'hotel è condotto direttamente dal proprietario in un atmosfera
amichevole e familiare. Seguite la segnaletica marrone che troverete lungo le strade del
Salento.

Welcome!

The Hotel Italia is located for about 60 km in the romantic place called Acquarica del Capo, far away from the antique city Lecce, between Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca. It exercises a large attraction on humans of all nationalities.

In the early summer 2003 the Hotel Italia was opened, it is very central in the north of Acquarica del Capo near by a historical place. It is very convenient as far as public transport goes, an ideal starting point for further interesting activities.

In the hotel all rooms are equipped with toilet, kitchen, washing facility as well as at least four sleeping places. Radio, television and devices of telecommunications can be installed. The hotel is led directly by the owner in a friendly family atmosphere. Follow the brown signs at the roads of the Salento.


Herzlich Willkommen!

Das Hotel Italia liegt im romantischen Ort Acquarica del Capo, etwa 60 km entfernt von der antiken Stadt Lecce, zwischen Gallipoli und Santa Maria di Leuca. Es übt eine große Anziehungskraft auf Menschen aller Nationalitäten aus.

Im Frühsommer 2003 wurde das Hotel Italia eröffnet, es befindet sich zentral gelegen an historischer Stätte im Norden von Acquarica del Capo. Seine gute Verkehrsanbindung lassen es als idealen Ausgangspunkt für weitere Aktivitäten interessant erscheinen.

Im Hotel sind alle Zimmer mit Toilette, Küche, Waschgelegenheit sowie mindestens vier Schlafplätzen ausgestattet. Radio, Fernseher und Geräte der Telekommunikation können installiert werden. Das Hotel wird direkt vom Inhaber in einer freundlichen familiären Atmosphäre geleitet. Folgen Sie den braunen Hinweisschildern an den Straßen im Salento.


Statement

Acquarica del Capo, opening of the Hotel Italia,
12th of July, 2003, 12 am

»Welcome! The Hotel Italia is located for about 60 km in the romantic place called Acquarica del Capo, far away from the antique city Lecce, between Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca. It exercises a large attraction on humans of all nationalities. In the early summer 2003 the Hotel Italia was opened, it is very central in the north of Acquarica del Capo near by a historical place. It is very convenient as far as public transport goes, an ideal starting point for further interesting activities. In the hotel all rooms are equipped with toilet, kitchen, washing facility as well as at least four sleeping places. Radio, television and devices of telecommunications can be installed. The hotel is led directly by the owner in a friendly family atmosphere. Follow the brown signs at the roads of the Salento.«

This introduction is the official text of the Hotel Italia leaflets which I gave to the people and which were on display in some local tourist offices and a part of the artwork. They are an invitation to come to this place and think about what could happen.

The idea of creating a new place in the Salento was growing increasingly after spending some days in the Salento. I didn’t want to use a public space that is already occupied by a historical use in the present. Another aspect was to create a work that might have a regional dimension inside the country during the summer time, because the people go to the coast at this time. This was the first direction I have chosen in spring 2003 - to install a work away from the nice coast in the hot desert zones where it is hard to stay in the summer.

For me the caves are used like the garbage you can find there. The people forgot them in a way although some parts of them are still in use. The way of putting the boat into the cave was like throwing it away and it looks like the other things you can find there. The dismissed caves in general are used for any kind of garbage today – cars, bottles, household articles etc. and for killing animals. I have just done what some people from the Salento do: disposing their stuff. Nobody would throw away a boat particularly if it is still in function. Nevertheless, here the story begins: Using two typical still used tools of the Salento – a fisher boat and a cave (stones for the houses) – the very simple materials reflecting the area by overloading it. By using these powerful different materials, the main subjects of the work are visual qualities, transported by humour, a kind of cruelty, speaking itself about powerlessness in spite of cognition. The title Hotel Italia is navigating the artwork to an unknown destination.

However, I preferred the Hotel Italia because of the national and international dimension rising up in my mind. In the end, the result was a very simple idea reflecting political aspects like migration of people from the north of Europe (tourists) and immigrants from the south (Turkey, Albania, Africa and Arabians). Both parts (the legal = name of the boat and the illegal = the boat as a vehicle for escaping) met themselves and stopped in the dismissed cave of Acquarica del Capo. Therefore, the work is rather contemporary and will be a part of the future because the story is going on. The Hotel Italia will used by two communities for youth culture works near by a port at S. Maria di Leuca, the European immigration politics will speed up the illegal migration and further conflicts.

Jürgen Witte, August 2003

P.S.: The Hotel Italia was destroyed during the exhibition time by arson.

Biographie

1965 geboren in Brake / Unterweser

1985–1991 Studium der Veterinärmedizin in Hannover
1990–1998 Studium der Freien Kunst, Kunstakademie Bergen, Norwegen, Kunstakademie Münster bei Timm Ulrichs, Fachhochschule Hannover, Fachbereich Bildende Kunst bei Rolf Bier und Ulrich Eller
1997 Diplom Freie Kunst
1998 Meisterschüler bei Ulrich Eller
2000 Promotion (Chemische Analytik)


Ausstellungen und Projekte (Auswahl)

2007
„Worpswunder“, Kunstverein Springhornhof, Neuenkirchen, „Rummel – Das größte Schützenfest der Welt“, Kubus, Hannover (K)

2006
„Frühlingserwachen / strip – Bilder in Folge“, Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel „seitenwechsel“, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum, Hannover (K), „Glauben und Wissen“, Preview, Kunstraum Via 113, „Neue Kunst in alten Gärten“, Rittergut Lenthe (K) „strip-Bilder in Folge“, Galerie Beckers, Frankfurt, „Glauben und Wissen“, Galerie der Künstler, München

2005
„strip-Bilder in Folge“, Kunstverein Hannover + Deutscher Künstlerbund Berlin

2004
„Hausbesuch III“, Künstlerhaus Bremen, „antistatic“, Kunstverein Geldern (K)

2003
„Im Wind“, Ahrenshoop (K) „Bremer Förderpreis Bildende Kunst 2002“, Städtische Galerie im Buntentor, Bremen, „Initinere“, Apulien (I),(K) „künstlerische Interventionen im Stadtraum“,
BPB, Berlin, „Heimleuchten“, Niedersachsenvertretung, Berlin (K) „von a nach b“, Straßenbahn Hannover (K)

2002
„Perspektiven“, Kunstverein Hannover (K) „don“, Marfa, Texas, „o.T.“, Kunstverein Ahlen „Verzauberung durch Irritation“, Stadtgebiet Ahlen (K), „Zeitzonen“, Stadtraum Vegesack „Bremer Förderpreis Bildende Kunst 2001“, Städtische Galerie im Buntentor, Bremen

2001
„lebt und arbeitet in Hannover“, Galerie Robert Drees, Hannover, „Bahnhof Lichtspiele“, Hauptbahnhof, Hannover (K), „live“, Camp Lejre (Dänemark), (K), „western sunrise“, window space, Kopenhagen (Dänemark), (E) „scientificneuroticstop“, Kunstverein Wunstorf

2000
"big contention", Eine deutsche Einkaufspassage, Hannover, "Home is where this heart is", Gardur, Selfoss (Island); Udhus, Lejre (Dänemark); Küche, Hannover (E), „Struktur freistellen", Ein Treppenhaus für die Kunst V., Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft u. Kultur, Hannover (K) „Kiss sampler“, Museum of Contemporary Art and Spirits, Osaka (Japan)

1999
„Die guten Dinge", Situation u. Aktion, Kunstraum Via 113, Hildesheim (K) „Künstlerfrühstück", Aktion (mit A. Steig), Leisewitzstübchen Hannover "Statt Blumen", Installation, Engesohder Friedhof, Hannover (K), "Claims II", Installation, Kaliberg, Hannover (K), "VI. Bildhauersymposion", Holzminden (K), "transplants II", Posen (Polen) (K)

1998
"Stilleben", Objekte, Kunstraum Via 113, Hildesheim, "Liest Anaïs Nin", Aktion in einem Taxi, Liebigstr., Hannover "Der Zweifel in der Darstellung - Hannover/New York", Villa Minimo, Hannover "StadtFinden", Installation, Bahnhofstr., Hannover (K), "transplants", Objekte u. Installation, Kubus, Hannover

1997
"ransom letter no.1", DIN A4, Galerie Otto Plonk, Bergen, Norwegen, "dash", Aktion im Luftraum, Hannover (E), "(Dein perfektes Verbrechen)", Plakataktion im Stadtraum, Hannover, "Stadtwerke", Situation, Galerie Schallschutz, Hannover "Phantomschmerz", Tagebücher u. Zeichnungen, Galerie Hallsson, Zürich (K,E)

(E = Solo, K = Katalog)


Stipendien u. Preise

1993 Stipendium Sommerakademie Irsee, Allgäu
1994 Erasmusstipendium, Bergen (Norwegen)
1998 Jahresstipendium der Volkswagen-Stiftung, Künstlerhaus Meinersen, 2. Preis, Wettbewerb Bahndamm Kleefelderstr. (mit A. Steig), Hannover
2000 Hans-Hellmann-Gedächtnispreis
2002 Barkenhoffstipendium Worpswede
2003 1. Preis Zeitzonen, Vegesack, 2. Preis, Marktplatzgestaltung Woltmershausen, Bremen
2003 Arbeitsstipendium für Italien, Akademie für Gestaltung, Münster


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