XENOS

In the catalogue Bezugspunkte 38/88 (1988), Werner Fenz wrote: "Bezugspunkte refers to history as the triggering factor of the present; it does not mean a systematic analysis but a look into the past with today's awareness, because 'history does not repeat itself.'"

However, the quote "History does not repeat itself" is incomplete. If we are quoting Voltaire, we must continue: "Man always does."

Nearly forty years ago, many of us believed that if you did not know your history, you were doomed to repeat it. It was a time when it seemed that the general situation was going to develop from good to better, that divisions of the past would be overcome, and that democratic changes would unite the entire world. The world was still young. This was just before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Now, in the future—when the future no longer seems nearly as optimistic, when many have the feeling that there is no future at all for them — this stark contrast between then and now offers a completely new reference point for Bezugspunkte.

Location: Europaplatz

“Growing up as a Burmese literature enthusiast since middle school, I wondered why no proverbs encouraged females to uplift their souls or reach their goals. Instead, many force Burmese women to conform to cultural values within their society, from daily etiquette to standards of religious conduct. Four generations of extreme patriarchal military regimes in Myanmar devalue women's contributions and have never given room for progress and change in contemporary Burmese society.”

In her text-based mixed-media project Zoncy challenges the meanings of the patriarchal proverbs that often reinforce gender stereotypes and limit women's potential. Her aim is to reverse or counter-argue and reclaim the potential, ability, power, and wisdom, which have always been with womankind. 

Location: Kunsthaus Graz, Lendkai 1

"Thus came the memorable coup attempt in mid-February 1934, which I and my family, at the center of a revolutionary circle, had to personally witness with all its horrors."

These were the words of Commercial Councilor Franz Steiner (1869-1960), founder of the Steiner Bread Factory, describing the events of February 1934, when "workers everywhere [...] took up arms" and barricaded themselves in Eggenberg. He recounts how he retreated to the back of the house with his family and a few employees, while sending his factory workers across the fields to return home, hoping they would find safety.

He and his son took turns to crawl into the office to maintain phone contact with the "city." His experiences are translated into drawings by his great-granddaughter, the artist, to serve as a reminder of the dangers of political radicalization.

Location: Graz Museum, courtyard, Sackstraße 18

In Cooperation with: Graz Museum

Franz Kapfer’s work questions the historical and contemporary practices that, often in an internalized way, shape social life.

His project Atlases sheds light on the militarized present. Masks, like the fabric mask depicted, have gained prominence in public spaces in recent years due to radicalized groups, reaching a threatening level. Kapfer raises the question of whether it is our reality that the constant possibility of violence must lead to the endangerment of democracy. The mask anonymizes—just as identity can be concealed on the internet. Ultimately, it does not matter whether a real person is hidden behind it or not.

Kapfer’s works testify to the survival, the inability to die—or perhaps the unwillingness to let die—of a myth, one whose life force is unclear. Or is there something like a destructive, fascist primal instinct that seeks to infiltrate and destroy democracies?

Location: Schauspielhaus, Hofgasse 11

In Cooperation with: Schauspielhaus Graz

Right-wing extremists and autocrats are reaching for power even in Western democracies, threatening democratic achievements such as human and minority rights.

The three monkeys became popular in the Western world, perhaps not coincidentally, with the interpretation: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil!" By looking the other way, tuning out and keeping their mouths shut when people are discriminated against and persecuted based on their origin, skin color, language, religion, gender, age or appearance, many people continue to practice a kind of “neutral” apathy to this day. A similar indifference applies to the global exploitation of nature, fellow creatures, the climate crisis, and its effects on this planet.

Democracy, however, gives us the power of choice. This calls for action: to look, to listen, and to speak out. Democracy is never a status quo but always a process—one of participation and engagement. It is something we must constantly work on, especially when it is difficult, requires courage, and entails responsibility.

Location: Justizanstalt Graz-Karlau, Mauergasse