Curatorview [Alfredo Cramerotti]

[Image: Insurance.AES256 by Michael Takeo Magruder. See video below.]

All That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism — Curated by Alfredo Cramerotti & Simon Sheikh :: until July 31, 2011 :: QUAD Gallery, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS.

The exhibition All that Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism presents the provocative idea that art and journalism are two sides of a unique activity; the production and distribution of images and information. The exhibition brings to the surface how images and information are communicated, and the aesthetic principles used in the act of transmission.

Whereas journalism provides a view on the world, as it ‘really’ is, art often presents a view on the view, as an act of reflection. All that Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism will examine both as systems of information that define truth in terms of the visible but also what can be imagined.

In the course of two months, the exhibition will be presented in three chapters: The Speaker, The Image and The Militant. The three separate displays of artwork refer to the rotation of the news cycle, while each responding to the overall theme.

The Speaker (May 28 – June 19) concerns a specific figure, the speaking subject or author, also in terms of editorial processes and camera angles. What can enable a subject to appear as authentic, authoritative and truthful?

The Image (June 22 – July 10) examines how images are produced, through framing and positioning, but also how counter-images are created. Despite the claim of neutrality and pragmatism, this chapter proposes an ‘aesthetics of journalism’.

The Militant (July13 – 31) continues the strand of counter-images, but by using journalistic means such as exposé and research. These methods often work to uncover what a corporate media industry does not, and thus return to some of reportage’s initial claims.

Sammy Baloji (DR Congo), Yael Bartana (Holland/ Israel), Eric Baudelaire (France), Ursula Biemann (Switzerland), Ross Birrell (UK), Michael Blum (Canada /Israel), Broomberg and Chanarin (UK/South Africa), Abraham Cruzvillegas (Germany/ Mexico), Anita Di Bianco (Germany/USA), Marcelo Exposito (Argentina/ Spain), Douglas Fishbone (UK/USA), Zachary Formwalt (Holland/ USA), Wynne Greenwood and K8 Hardy (USA), Tamar Guimaraes (Brazil/ Denmark), Lamia Joreige (Lebanon), Graziela Kunsch (Brazil), Michael Takeo Magruder (UK/USA), Renzo Martens (Holland), Oliver Ressler (Austria), Katya Sander (Denmark), Slum-TV (Kenya), Hito Steyerl (Germany), Walid Raad/ The Atlas Group (USA/ Lebanon) and Alejandro Vidal (Spain).

All That Fits – video introduction of Michael Takeo Magruder’s work from Alfredo Cramerotti on Vimeo.

All That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism is supported by the Danish Art Council, Mondriaan Foundation, Autograph ABP, The Jack Kirkland Collection, the Embassy of Brazil in London and Centre National des Arts Plastiques (France).

Also see The Production of Truth: The Aesthetics of Journalism by Alfredo Cramerotti and Simon Sheikh, Digimag.