The herbst exhibition “Forms of Distancing” focuses on the concept of distance, thereby dedicating itself to a special aspect of the of the festival’s leitmotif “I prefer not to ... share!”. To this end, steirischer herbst has commissioned numerous works intended to examine the notion of distancing oneself in the sense of refraining from something. The focus is on refraining from immediately taking a stance on anything, thus allowing more space for independent thought.
Various forms of contemporary art are currently exploring this theme within the conflicting fields of representational politcal analysis and the formal staging of an art form. “Forms of Distancing” sets out to subject the concept of representation to closer scrutiny in its artistic and political manifestations and also examines what acts of distancing imply with regard to the politics of sharing and not sharing.
At the exhibition, artists will examine how politicians manipulate the public and what role the media play in creating a public forum for democratic opinion; what alternative possibilities of communal life might exist outside the constraints of society; the status of the legacy of modern European feminism. How misleading political strategies impact on the spheres of agriculture, industry and services. The overarching aim is to distance ourselves from everyday experience and to comprehend distance as a tool with which to create a new space for critical thinking.