Nik Nowak
Milchstraßenverkehrsordnung (Space is the place)
Aug 2 – Sep 15, 2019
Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin, Germany
Opening: Aug 1, 2019 | 7 pm

Participating artists: Guy Allott, Andreas Ammer, Andreas Gerth and Martin Gretschmann, Song-Ming Ang, Lucas Foletto Celinski, Vincent Fournier, Gregor Hildebrandt, Via Lewandowsky, Bjørn Melhus, Nik Nowak, Johan Österholm, Thomas Ravens, Nik Raicevic alias Nik Pascal, Gerd Rohling, Igor Sacharow-Ross, Bettina Scholz, Annette Schröter, Sebastian Szary, Jared Theis, Saverio Tonoli, Brigitte Waldach, Aribert von Ostrowski

The theme of the exhibition is linked to the hope recently expressed by Elon Musk that we are currently at the beginning of a new chapter in the history of mankind (after Musk shot a Tesla Roadster into space in February 2018 as part of the testing of his SpaceX rocket). The idea of these experiments is as follows: The colonization of space, the moon, Mars and possibly other planets, promises an advanced utopia for Homo sapiens.
Since the second half of the 20th century, a variety of scientific concepts, political expectations, and artistic and literary fictions have nurtured notions that there might be practical ways for mankind to take their abode outside Earth.
The exhibition takes a critical look at the so-called “New Space era” and also considers the afrofuturistic science fiction concepts of the 1970s, as initiated by the American free jazz activist group Sun Ra and his Arkestra. Sun Ra’s formula “Space is the place” can be interpreted as his artistic response to the revolutionary socialist strategies of the “Black Panther Party for Self-Defense” (founded in 1966), with which Sun Ra, under the conditions of the growing tensions between black and white in the USA, had entered into a persistent controversy rejecting violence with regard to the question of possible future perspectives of people who, because of their dark skin color, were not represented, excluded and suppressed.
The exhibition presents works of painting, photography, drawings, objects, videos, record covers and sounds.

Side Programme to Milchstrassenverkehrsordnung:

02.08. | 7 pm
Lecture by Jeannot Simmen (in German): Finster war’s. Der Mond schien helle. Kosmos-Utopien und Irdisches Paradies 

05.09. | 7 pm
Driftmachine (Andreas Gerth + Florian Zimmer) + Andreas Ammer

15.09. | 7 pm
Book presentation Jens Balzer Das entfesselte Jahrzehnt. Sound and Spirit of the 70’s and DJ set