ESeL

about eSeL

The label eSeL (also serving as a nickname for founder Lorenz Seidler) prototypically represents the crossover of the roles of artist, curator, online medium and infrastructure-provider in contemporary artistic practise in the New media genres.

“Esel” means “donkey” in German. The label originates in the phonetic pronunciation of its founder's initials and soon became standalone brand, expanding its animal analogies into a multitude of animals-participants. Qualities attributed to the eponymous animal are consciously matching with the initiative's characteristics: stubbornness (autonomy and independence), grey fur (searching for options beyond the polarity of right/wrong or good/bad), long ears (overhearing insider's information), asininity (asking alleged “stupid” questions).

eSeL aims at revealing and changing conventions and coherences in the art field – putting a special focus on structural implications and representation in the media sphere.

“Kunst kommt von Kommunizieren” (engl.“art derives from communication”) is eSeL's slogan - Contributions of the term “art” are shown as a constant process of (transitory) quality agreements.

The eSeL-initiative grew from an independent online medium for of art information and event listings to an institutional carrier and server for art activities in Vienna, combined with focused interventions through projects, performances and exhibitions.

exhibition projects (incomplete)

Erste Wahl (engl: First Choice). Oct - Nov 2002. Gallery Ig Bildende Kunst location, project

cooperating r.d. location, project,

Schau Schau. (engl. View the view). December 2003 - Jan 2004. Gallery Ernst Hilger, Vienna. project, gallery

UPDATE. kunstrukturenutzen&schaffen. Jan - March 2005. Künstlerhaus Wien. gallery

AUDIO projects

Radio eSeL: Die Sendung mit dem Schaf (1999–2003). Biweekly radio show with guests and Call-Ins on Viennese radio station Radio Orange 94,0. Co-host: Sarah Pichler

Hör Schau Schau (December 2003). Audiocatalogue. Interviews and songs to the exhibition. with Roger Stein. Hilger gallery Audio

Radio Republic (July 2004). Daily radioshow and interventions as “State Secretary for Media Embedment” in the artists´ republic "State of the Arts" during the “Sommerzene Salzburg” Festival (President: Meg Stuart) Sommerszene Salzburg | Audio

Radio Re Vu (December 2004). Audiotour and various audio-interventions in public spaces in Kortrijk (Belgium) during the “Maison Folie” of the European Cultural Capitol 2004: Lille Buda Audio

UPDATE. The Album (December 2004). Collaborative Music project. Musicians had to share audio samples and use them for songs about the exhibition. with Roger Stein and all participating artists. Roger-Stein.com

Update LeitFragen (Jan-March 2005). Interactive Audio-Guide: Exhibition visitors could call via their mobile phones and answer questions to each exhibit of the UPDATE-exhibition. with Team Teichenberg and T-Systems Austria. Team Teichenberg

Add on Audio (July 2005). Phrases from interviews were broadcast during the evening program of the art-in-public-space project “ADD ON. 20 Höhenmeter”. The final remix was documenting emerging issues of a six-week residence of artists, architects and visitors in a scaffolding tower in a public square in Vienna. (two tracks remixed by twisted noodle) Audio

Be a reporter (October 2005). Interactive audience participation via mobile phone and broadcast via radio in the science event “Lange Nacht der Forschung”. with Team Teichenberg and T-Systems Austria. lndf.at

Ich bin sh. (March 2006). eSeL remixed statements by Austrian net artists, activists and technicians to research, create and perform the projection of the role, issues and problems of a typical Austrian net culture artist. Audio

Current audio features by eSeL remix statements and sources of various contexts and origins, unveiling hidden implications and experimenting with new ways of representation. Since 2006 these “discourse remixes” developed into staged performances including “Tableaux Vivants” with audience participation.

interventions (incomplete)

Meinung ist auch Deinung

(transl.MY opinion is also YOUR opinion)

Criticizing the irrelevance of uninformed, incoherent and yet influential discourse in talkshows that aim to reach target groups instead of well-founded conclusions, eSeL used his invitation for a 5-day-appearance in the live-format Talk of Town on Austrian's Puls TV to sell his opinion via internet.

After four days of live appearance in the show (and promotion of the auction) eSeL's Lorenz Seidler was paid 18 Euros by the Viennese artist Philipp Drössler to insist the absurd interrelation between "violence in German television" and "the stability of meat prices" (German original: "Mehr Gewalt im deutschen Fernsehen, für stabile Schnitzelpreise") – entirely ignorant of the current topic discussed. This absurd performance was boosted by a Call-in by the art project's co-author Johannes Grenzfurthner of monochrom who was speaking for the allegedly unsatisfied buyer of his opinion. This dadaistic intervention lead to a complete make-over of the show that now features changing experts commenting on the issues discussed.

various other projects (incomplete)

UPDATE Unplugged (August 2004)

In the research process leading to UPDATE exhibition eSeL (with Philippe Glatz) segregated ten young artists in an alpine cabin 5000 feet in the Austrian mountains. Usually operating in urban context (most of them with internet and new media) the artists had to work (and reflect) under unaccustomed circumstances: ten days without warm water or internet. The artistic output created and the issues discussed have been included in the UPDATE-exhibition. Link

art information through eSeL

Reaching a massive young audience beyond the art circles eSeL's information services deliberately feature upcoming initiatives next to well-established art positions from all fields of artistic practice in Vienna (Fine Arts, performance, dance, art-in-public space, film, media art, music and civil society's artistic activities, inviting participation by new artists as well as the audience).

online information

eSeL Mehl. Weekly Newsletter. link

Safari – mailinglist to exchange dates in Vienna link

kalender.esel.at – art events in Vienna calendar. link

hosting

eSeL ist running a server hosting initiatives like:

netznetz.net. communication of net culture activists in Vienna web

EOP - Emergence of Projects. interdisciplinary platform for collaborations between art, science and civil society eop.at

mailinglists here

eSeLs Server ist currently hosted in the „Data spind“ – a sculpture and laboratory by media artist Franz Xaver. (current location: Kunsthaus Graz)

Commentaries

He who calls himself "Esel" (donkey) is probably Vienna's most interesting contact for art- and culture – and is, not only for that, anything else but a donkey. (Thomas Rottenberg)

eSeL in the press: here