Sublime Eroding

A screen visualised in oil; a Parthian sculpture destroyed in Mosul cast in ballistic gelatine; a drone simulating human empathy. During the exhibition Sublime Eroding, the artists Christoph Bartsch (G), Julien Dutertre (B), Sébastien Montéro (F), Michael Petri (AT), Nans Quétel (F), Norbert Reissig (G) and Martin Wühler (G) examine the varying levels of the Sublime.

In a world where everything appears to be reproducible, does the Sublime through this process of reproducibility, lose its enchantment or its inclination to the unknown, its disturbing, puzzling nature, like most of its specific qualities?

The Sublime's capacity to 'surpass' leads us to believe that it is able to sustain itself and survive due to its own specific trait.

Envision having to save the world from reproducibility, the Sublime could act as its imaginary lifeguard - this lifeguard, the one from our imaginary summer beaches – the embodiment of an idealised world, where sheer immenseness and danger are quietly controlled by this man in a T-shirt, slightly over-muscular and a bit melancholic, always waiting for a rare affront.

Nothing can prove that this world is working towards its own decimation, like an erosion, when it has sustained itself since its beginning through reproductions.
This tendency to place ourselves within a collapsing world, rather than enjoying its head-spinning of a free fall, in which the T-Shirt of the lifeguard becomes a wing-suit, isn't giving the right colour to the Sublime, other than the perfume of a distinguished morbidity.
Between layered airstreams, the Sublime net; a trail of golden dust, why not until the great nanshole sucks us up: passing by rocks, touching the storm. This erosion could be merely a lack of our own understanding, its inability to catch the Sublime, its refusal to catch it, while the Sublime is able to do just that.

Let us suppose that this is a layered process, depending on the combination of these different levels. This matter of perspective is open to everyone and therefore will not allow for a decisive or final answer in the artist's works. An actual form of the Sublime could emerge and even more, through what is left of it, from its own dust.
Like a carbon 14-dating, from one time to another, a discussion lingering between epochs, one of the ultimate sublimations is the time machine powered by fiction, the very one which is continuing our day to day life.

Opening

Friday, 20th November, 19:00

Concert by Warm Graves, Friday, 27th November, 21:00

Warm Graves perform fragments from their debut album Ships Will Come interwoven with improvised ambient/drone soundscapes, challenging the audiences' comfort zone.

48h Intervention: WHILE WE WORK by Sébastien Montéro, Friday & Saturday, 4th – 5th December 00:00 - 00:00

Five young artists - Sophie Caudebec, Romain Petit, Mélanie Laglaine, Gaspard le Guen and Aline Choblet - occopy W139 for 48h. They belong to a secret agency which allows them to be both here, and on the opposite side of the world, at the same time.

As part of this intervention, Dominique Gilliot will perform her piece A few protocols to avoid getting bored on 5 december at 17:00.

As the exhibition Sublime Eroding has transformed close to its final state, five young artists from a secret agency from the DELTA TOTAL program occupy W139 for a 48h intervention. Appearing Friday morning to Saturday night, they are making their way through the cornfield on a secret mission to activate the space. They are agents in their own world, that are physically here but at the same time present on the opposite of the world. In service to find solutions focussed on the already existing environment, they use no language but just what is physical. Installing, showing, hiding, attacking and escaping the space; all this in search for the Sublime.

The missions of the agents can be followed 48 hours. From 12:00 - 00:00 in the exhibition space and after midnight - 12:00 in the afternoon on the screens outside W139.

On Saturday 5th at 17:00, Dominique Gilliot appears among the secret agency to perform her piece A few protocols to avoid getting bored. Latest shown during the Dans le cadre du Nouveau Festival / Air de Jeu at the Centre Pompidou, she presents her work during the 48h intervention at W139.

Join Dominique Gilliot for 40 minutes to taste in common the bitterness of time passing by and use the opportunity to test all those playful experimental games that she has invented and tested for you (no technology or smartphone needed).

Workshop: The Sense of Self, Friday, 18th December, 18:00 – 19:30 workshop, 19:30 dinner

A workshop which explores the essence and the depth of the inner self. Over 1,5h of personality work, we will attempt to connect with our inner transcendence. The compassion exercises of Buddhist monks are merged with Indian Kundalini practices. Included in the workshop is a delicious dinner which will be served after the class and offers space and time for discussions. Language: English / Entry: € 20,-. Reservation: sublime.eroding@gmail.com

Finissage Tombola, Sunday 20th December, 21:00 - 01:00

Fancy a traditional Christmas game that releases some adrenaline? Come to W139 and win an original artwork! Grab your chance, because on Sunday, December 20th the artists of Sublime Eroding organise a Tombola - as a grand finale on the last day of their own exhibition.

On the last night of Sublime Eroding W139 opens its doors at 21:00. At 22:00 the raffle starts while cocktails are to be enjoyed and records are played by the artists until 01:00. Meanwhile, more than 10 works are raffled! Keep an eye on our Facebook for the relevant works.

Support the artists by participating in the Tombola. You already have a Tombola-ticket for € 50,- and a good chance at winning!
Get your ticket from Monday, December 13th at W139.