Interview
w/ Fanta-MLN

HENDRIKE NAGEL
I’ve based (REPERTOIRE) to delve deeper—and collectively—into the intersection and interdependence of programmatic—equivalent to inventive and curatorial—and infrastructural pondering. I firmly consider that an establishment’s dynamics are formed not solely by its program however equally by the organizational construction by which it operates. On this context, (REPERTOIRE) invitations artists, collectives, and cultural employees in addition to undertaking areas, galleries, and establishments to collectively think about and domesticate new, fairer organizational types of (institutional) work. Given the range of contributors, this method naturally entails assorted and tailor-made types of collaboration.

Following the solo exhibition of James Krone, which marked the inaugural undertaking of (REPERTOIRE), I’m delighted to embark on a collaboration with you, or somewhat, to host you—a phrase I consider higher encapsulates (REPERTOIRE)’s function on this context. Nevertheless, earlier than delving into our collaborative relationship or discussing your inventive choices for the upcoming group exhibition, I’d like to start by exploring your self-perception of Fanta-MLN as an organizational entity. Significantly within the context of managing the gallery as a trio, how would you characterize the dynamics and method?

FANTA-MLN
Ciao Hendrike, to begin with we wish to thanks on your variety invitation to host our gallery and program. We’re at all times actually blissful to collaborate with different realities and particularly for the primary time in a metropolis as Berlin, the place we’ve a whole lot of connections and mates.

As on your query, we’ve to say that we don’t have a hard and fast group system or particular roles. This doesn’t imply that we don’t set up our work each day, or that we haven’t developed private one to 1 relationships or particular abilities over these years, however let’s say that we attempt to work largely as a collective entity, sharing ideas amongst us and pondering collectively concerning the doable choices we’ve to take. We’re conscious that typically this course of might be a bit sluggish, however this dialectic method amongst us has at all times been crucial for our program, particularly in understanding what are the urgencies and priorities of our undertaking. After all we don’t at all times agree on every part, however in these instances the mutual belief and respect we’ve for every others often helps in not creating any deadlock!

HENDRIKE
I consider that adopting a slower tempo would typically profit the (artwork) world.
That’s truly one of many paradigms of (REPERTOIRE): producing much less exhibits. Nevertheless, I believe a collective method—like some other different method—typically brings precisely these structural challenges to the forefront. This may clarify why we see a lower of their reputation. Established infrastructures hardly ever accommodate alternate wants (by way of time, prices, personnel, and so on.). I don’t know the way a lot you might be affected by this?! Additionally on a programmatic degree, you’re employed with a number of artists whose practices contain numerous types of cooperation or collaboration. As an example, Jason Hirata regularly employs relationships and networks as a creative technique, Angharad Williams is a member of the collective The Wig, and Michèle Graf & Selina Grüter work as a duo—they’re additionally a part of your present right here at (REPERTOIRE). So I’m serious about your curiosity and perspective on this, as I think about it’s one in all many threads in your program?

FANTA-MLN
Cooperation and collaboration are undoubtedly ideas that not solely inform the way in which we function on a sensible and structural degree, however as you identified they’re very a lot embedded within the follow of among the artists we collaborate with, in addition to the very programming of the gallery and the way it developed and grew over time. Many artists we work with have relationships amongst them that began earlier than the collaboration with us, whereas a few of these relations additionally developed by means of the reference to us, and we really feel that is each related and pure to the way in which we conceive the gallery’s program, being the dialogue with the artists and the sharing of frequent issues and sensibilities crucial for us. Whereas we aren’t within the concept of specializing in particular scenes, we like to think about the gallery as an area round which a group might be constructed. Some examples on this route might be the collaboration between Jason Hirata and Angharad Williams inside The Wig undertaking that you just talked about, in addition to the truth that Michèle Graf & Selina Grüter not solely work as a duo, however they used to run the undertaking Taylor Macklin in Zurich with Gina Folly. An anecdote that one way or the other exemplifies additionally how we conceived the present in Berlin, is that the work Pocket Liner by Michèle and Selina that we’re presenting within the exhibition belongs to Gina and was lent from her for the event.

HENDRIKE
I very a lot see—and admire—this community-oriented method evident in your follow. It seems that you regularly embark on tasks with a grassroots perspective, subsequently broadening their horizons in numerous instructions, thereby cultivating a wealthy community of social connections. Wasn’t your gallery initially conceived in the same vein? As a undertaking area with a robust emphasis on Milan’s native artwork scene?

FANTA-MLN
Fanta-MLN began as a undertaking area in 2015, earlier than turning into a gallery within the fall of 2018. The three of us had been already very shut to every others and had labored collectively earlier than, and as we already shared related issues and sensibilities it felt fairly pure for us to provoke this undertaking collectively, and to begin by collaborating with some artists from Milan and of our technology. It was the dialog with a few of them and the need to work collectively on particular tasks that triggered the thought of opening an area. Whereas this was the start line of the undertaking, as we talked about earlier than it was additionally vital for us to not focus completely on a selected scene, which is why we quickly felt the necessity to increase the analysis and program past our native context. And as all of us come from a gallery background, it was additionally very pure for us to proceed the conversations with the artists past the exhibits developed collectively, and that is why after three years we determined to turn into a gallery.

HENDRIKE
This technique additionally resonates with the ethos of the group exhibition right here. The undertaking commenced with the sculpture by Alessandro Agudio, who relies in Berlin, earlier than increasing to embody the works of Gina Folly, and Michèle Graf & Selina Grüter. May you elaborate additional in your concept for the present, the person works and their interrelations?

FANTA-MLN
Once we acquired your invitation we instantly considered involving Alessandro Agudio within the undertaking, an artist we work with for the reason that very starting and who relies in Berlin since a couple of years. We additionally determined instantly to current his work Fioriera I (La Giocosa), 2023, a bit that belongs to an ongoing collection of sculptures that play with the thought of planters. The particularity of this piece, which was offered for the primary time final 12 months within the solo present “Transforming Residence Acquario” in Naples at LFA along with two extra sculptures from the identical collection, is that the supplies used to make the work come from the furnishings of Alessandro’s dad and mom’ condominium, Residence Acquario, the place he grew up and which is situated in Taccona, an hamlet within the city of Muggiò, Brianza, on the outskirts of Milan. This liminal panorama, and the artisanal custom of it, have at all times been an vital reference in Alessandro’s follow, and extra so previously few years, when the shifting out from the condominium triggered in Alessandro a cautious taxonomic operation throughout the rooms and the objects inhabiting them. We thought it was fairly attention-grabbing to current this work, which is one way or the other additionally very private to him, within the exhibition and in his new metropolis of residence, which is Berlin.

As for the opposite works within the present, the choices had been fairly spontaneously developed in dialog with the artists. Once we work on group exhibits, we attempt to keep away from a selected theme to dictate the alternatives, however we choose to give attention to shared sensibilities and intuitions among the many works and practices offered. Ranging from the title of Alessandro’s work, which interprets in “The Playful One,” we determined to current Gina Folly’s works from the Simplify Complexity collection, by which totally different units of toys which can be used to maintain animals which can be held in captivity energetic, are offered into polistirene packing packing containers. The supplies chosen are typical of at this time’s post-industrial and post-Fordist world, evoking up to date materiality in all of its commonest and banal features. These aesthetic decisions however defy any chilly impersonality, and each topic is handled by means of the prism of the human relations and emotional motivations that it invitations. The curiosity in several modes of domestication of animals is a recurring theme within the artists’ follow, and her playful and delicate method additionally underlies a mirrored image onto the programs and technique of controls that humanity imposes on itself.

This investigation into our contemporaneity and the programs that regulate it, and the potential for questioning by means of small gestures their linearity and normativity, which is a recurring thread in this system of the gallery as an entire, additionally recommended the choice of the final piece within the present, a piece by Michèle Graf and Selina Grüter belonging to their ongoing Pocket Liners collection. These works are composed by gathering phrases from buy receipts, forming brief texts that reevaluate the phrases from this discovered vocabulary. The texts replicate the artists’ curiosity within the use and growth of language inside a capitalist social formation, and the potential for subverting it by means of a poetic gesture. The work within the present is a very acute instance of this method, because the phrase tender, used instrumentally in business receipts, is right here redeployed for the phrase’s affective connotation. Lastly, the curiosity in language as a compositional materials and the exploration of types of subjectivity embedded in it informs the follow of Luzie Meyer, who we invited for a studying efficiency for the opening of the present, by which she is going to current a choice of writings and poems. Her texts typically oscillates between private expertise and a essential statement of her environment and thru their obvious non-logic or absurdity, they discover the psychology of type and search to bend seemingly prescriptive protocols of understanding materials actuality.

by Fanta–MLN at (REPERTOIRE), Berlin
till June 2, 2024