spot specific Arne Schmitt, Stef Renard

Studenten von Aglaia Konrad, Sint-Lukas Brussel, Hogeschool voor Wetenschap & Kunst zu Gast in der Galerie 52.

The a priori of skateboarding is and has always been the location, commonly referred to as the “spot”. It does not only determine the actual possibilities of skating, meaning architectural shapes and spacial expanse, but it also sets a mood and provides a context which is at least equally important. Thus, it speaks about the athletic, the performative and the intervening aspect of skateboarding in the urban environment, as well as the personal element and the way of life that is inherently connected to it.

In his work “New Functionalism”, Arne Schmitt formulates three approaches on architecture through skateboarding: the first is in the medium of photography and presents a schoolyard in Hagen, dating from the 1980s, locally renowned as a coincidental skate park. The second is in the medium of a short video loop which juxtaposes two famous German skate spots from the 1990s, both being architectural icons at the same time: the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin and the Neue Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart. The third approach is a text, suggesting a new understanding of the word functionalism alongside the visual arguments formulated before.

Stef Renard’s work “Memory maker” plays with the notions of skateboarding, but rather focuses on the moments and sites outside the action. These sites are not necessarily the skateboard spots – the photographed neighborhoods are located in the town where he grew up and where he became a skateboarder. The architecture of the houses is of a particular kind, yet difficult to describe, as their styles and eras vary a lot. Dating from the 50’s to the 80’s, they serve as a symbol of many pasts and different upbringings. Another element in his installation is the record “The singles: 81-85” of the band Depeche Mode, an icon of synthpop, which echoes a sense of dreaminess. The mood that all these elements add up to resonates the feeling of growing up as a skateboarding teenager.

Abbildung: Arne Schmitt