Dear visitor,

Tomorrow, Saturday (6 p.m.), Michal Martychowiec's solo exhibition will open at Thesaurós in Uhlandstrasse, Berlin. Its hopeful title: Nachricht vom letzten Menschen [Message from the Last Man]. Please feel warmly invited to this celebration!

Since the last e-mail already caused some controversy - in particular about the figure of the 'panda' and its association with the last man - here a passage from the exhibition text as an appetizer. How does the artist come to associate the sweet, small, cuddly and oh so lovable creature with the last man and incorporation of decadence? Yes, to put it in community with the nihilistic god of death himself?

"In Martychowiec's work the panda is an unmasking symbol of decadence at the centre of a modernity that has long become empty. The panda stands for the last man at the end of history, bound between neoliberal normativity and the decoupling from his own historical-cultural becoming. As a pop cultural symbol, it is omnipresent and can also be interpreted as a medium of Chinese 'soft-power' politics. Pandas found their biological niche through a genetic mutation in the spine, which allowed them to sit comfortably. Bamboo, their primary food source, is poor in nutrients and must be eaten 16 hours a day. The species, which is already extinct in the wild, a museums piece, mostly lives in so-called panda villas. There they are looked after by guards and psychologists. Most reproductions occur through artificial insemination."

Ask yourself with us what might be the message of the last man.

Certainly, we do not know and can only interpret.

Yours,

Julian M. H. Schindele

Dear guests, dear readers,

We cordially invite you to the next opening of the exhibition by the Polish-British conceptual artist Michal Martychowiec on August 29th, from 6 p.m., in the Thesaurós. Uhlandstrasse.

The exhibition Message from the Last Man is an exploration of the symbolic cosmos of symbols and the new mythology of Martychowiecs. The two main protagonists in this exhibition are the figure of the incredulous Thomas and the figure of the panda bear. The latter takes on the 'role' of the last man in the artist's system, whereas Thomas confronts us as the archetypal believing doubter.

The exhibition is the third part of the cycle Mυθοποίηση - Mythopoesis curated by Julian M. H. Schindele.

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In accordance with the hygiene requirements, we will open the exhibition on Saturday, August 29th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. During this period, we invite you to enter in small groups.

Otherwise, our normal opening times on Tuesday and Saturday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and according to private agreements apply.

Dear interested in laughing gods,
Dear (future) participants of our Berlin Philoquium,

Following the exhibition of the Bublitz. Thesaurós. Uhlandstraße., GABRIEL – Marianische Antiphonen I, we want to hold the second of our discussions on the general topic “God laughs” after the corona break. The last one, under the title “genius”, had above all addressed Giorgio Agamben’s philosophy and the role of the artist as cultural heir to the priest in the disenchanted world. The second will now be under the keyword of the “prophetic”.

Apart from Jan Assmann from our circle, Michael Stahl and Cornelius Mayer Tasch have published on the prophetic. In my own book, Der Atemkreis der Dinge [The Breath of Things], the work of the artists in general is taken up as atmospheric work, which gradually replaces what European nihilism apparently sacrificed, creating a downright polytheistic heaven, to which God is neither dead nor returns, but rather was never completely gone but “laughs”.

What does today’s pantheon of the laughing god look like? Which “religion” do today’s “spiritual seekers”, artists and many philosophers belong to? What do human images and works of art look like that deal with the figures of the “pilgrim”, the “consecration”, the “breakthrough”, the “genius” etc.?

This time, due to existing hygiene requirements, the location of the event is not the gallery, but the Castle Steinhöfel, Schlossweg 4, 15518 Steinhöfel, (approx. 45 minutes from Berlin-Mitte via the motorway towards Frankfurt (Oder)).

Steinhöfel, as one of the main castles of Frederick the Great, is famous for its surrounding wonderful landscape garden. To taste the beauty of the place, we combine the philoquium with a walk and a coffee in these gardens. Finally, there will be dinner.

Arrival around 3 p.m., return at 7 p.m., or dinner in the castle. The first 10 people who inquire to stay for dinner are invited by us.

Admission is free, registration is requested: [email protected]

(The lectures will be given in German.)

Sincerely,
Reinhard Knodt & Julian M. H. Schindele