Twelve Swiss curators have been commissioned by IG Art&Appenzell to each select an artist for the exhibition “Wahlverwandtschaften” (Elective Affinities). Zurich Kunsthaus curator Bice Curiger invited Esther Eppstein to present her art project message salon in Appenzell.
Following the closure of the message salon on Ankerstrasse, Esther Eppstein is now taking her legendary off-space and the artists from Zurich’s Kreis 4 to the countryside for a holiday in Appenzell.
Esther Eppstein acquires a second-hand Tabbert caravan (built in 1972), which is to be the new home of the message salon. She places the message salon caravan in the small town of Appenzell and furnishes it with photos, a record player, documentation, ashtrays, fairy lights, woollen blankets and an open-air kitchen under the awning. The message salon video club is installed in the tent, the reception area in front of the caravan, a video library with a selection of videos by artists associated with the message salon.
At the message salon Ferienkolonie (message salon holiday camp), artists invited by Esther Eppstein stay in the message salon caravan for a few days to a week. They have no obligations other than to enjoy their holiday, spend as much time as possible in the caravan and welcome visitors to the exhibition. The artists provide information about message salon, talk about their artistic holidays in Appenzell or insert a video cassette into the VHS recorder. During their holidays in the caravan, they make art or light a fire, make coffee or invite people to a concert, wander around the area with a video camera or put their feet up.
The artists’ presence in the message salon caravan is part of a public exhibition. Interacting with the public is as enjoyable and challenging as the late summer weather during an unforgettable holiday at the message salon campsite: sunshine, balmy evenings, fog, wet weather and cold feet.
Caravan installation: Esther Eppstein, Andrea Binswanger, Ruedi Gfeller, Philip Broger. message salon video club: Esther Eppstein and Andrea Binswanger. Flyer: Saskja Rosset. Special thanks to Agathe Nisple, Appenzell and Bice Curiger.
Art&Appenzell Artist Talk: Dave Muller (invited by Hans-Ulrich Obrist) and Esther Eppstein (invited by Bice Curiger) discuss their contribution to the exhibition “Wahlverwandtschaften”, moderated by Mark Staff Brandl.