Art Of The Day Weekly

#441 - from 22 September 2016 to 28 September 2016


Arno Gisinger, War Room, from the the series « Reims - patrimoines revisités », 2016, colour photograph, inkjet print on plexiglas 5 mm, 120 x 160 cm.

Arno Gisinger in the folds of history

An interesting exhibition in Reims, in the former cellars of Mumm (then Jacquart), with its beautiful mosaics on the facade, groups together five photographers who give their personal vision of the local patrimony. That of Arno Gisinger (Austria, 1964) sticks very closely to that of the wars - and reconciliations - which left such a strong impression on the town. Following his habits, the photographer fed on research, in particular at the Carnegie library, a magnificent Art deco building, given by America for a warless Europe. An intriguing image shows the classroom of the Modern and Technical school: a Battle map on the wall, chairs in order (except for the one of the Soviet interpreter), a large meeting table. Everything seems to be set in time but actually everything is rebuilt to be more authentic. Nothing seems to have changed since the fatal 7 May 1945, 2:41 a.m., that has been largely forgotten: it was here, at the Supreme Allied Headquarters, that the German surrender was signed and not in Berlin the following day, a simple rehearsal that Staline wanted in order to praise the fundamental role of the Red Army. In the collective memory, one date pushed aside the other: how is History written?
• Arno Gisinger exhibited in Patrimoines revisités at the Cellier, in Reims, from 17 September to 31 December 2016, accompanied by Jordi Bernardó, Claudio Sabatino, Paolo Verzone, Sophie Zénon.

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