Room text Monster Chetwynd
Xanti Schenanigans
The British artist Monster Chetwynd (*1973, London) has been working with a variety of materials and techniques since the early 2000s. She creates costumes, paintings, collages, sculptures, installations and videos. Her art often appears carnivalesque and improvised – she uses simple materials such as cardboard, fabric, papier-mâché and paper. Chetwynd plays with cultural quotations and combines different art forms. Her works often serve as stage sets, costumes or accessories for glamorous, grotesque performances that she develops together with other artists.
In connection with the retrospective on Alexander ‘Xanti’ Schawinsky (1904, Basel – 1979, Locarno) on the upper two exhibition floors of the Kunsthalle, Chetwynd was invited to develop an installation that introduces and transitions into the exhibition. The artist combines elements from Schawinsky’s work with her own art in a humorous and creative way.
The installation „Xanti Shenanigans“ is inspired by Schawinsky’s ideas on ‘mobile theatre’, which he developed at the Bauhaus in the 1920s. The reknown art school played a key role in the artistic avantgardes – for example by combining art and craftsmanship, functionality and aesthetics, the use of new materials and an openness and willingness to experiment with new forms of artistic expression. The English word ‘shenanigans’ means ‘pranks’ or ‘trickery’ – and Chetwynd’s approach to Schawinsky’s work is just as playful.
At the opening of the exhibition, Chetwynd’s installation was brought to life with a performance reminiscent of a TV dating show. During the exhibition, the multimedia installation will be used repeatedly for performances by various groups.
Guest curator
Raphael Gygax
The exhibition is organised by the Kunsthalle Bielefeld and the Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean in collaboration with the estate of Xanti Schawinsky.
With support by
