100 000 000 angels singing

‚100 000 000 angels singing‘ is a symbolic description of the advent of a global-social state that occupies the artists of this exhibition. The threat of world demise, the advent of a new era – in short: the apocalypse. Although the interpretation of the apocalypse was originally biblical – the Revelation and forthcoming Day of Judgement – it has become more widespread over the course of history, both in spoken usage and in its general perception.

The artists whose works feature in the exhibition – Thomas Bayrle, Edward Burtynsky, Horacio Cadzco, Christine de la Garenne, Rainer Gross, Florian Heinke, Ichiro Irie and Sandra Mann – have accordingly addressed modern-day apocalyptic themes, such as air and environmental pollution, natural catastrophes, financial crashes, terrorism, political and social neglect, brutality, revolts, mass and media consumption. Their interpretations of society and their subjects are transformed into metaphors and visual motifs of a modern-day apocalypse that is close at hand.

The artists draft a comprehensive picture of the state of our world. The works are widely diverse in terms of content and format (paintings, sculptures, photos and video) and also raise the intriguing question of why mankind is repeatedly drawn to destruction. And, as such, to the endless fascination of pending disaster. From the tapestries in Angers to Dürer‘s Horsemen of the Apocalypse right up to Takashi Murakami‘s recent „Time Bokan“ series.