Democracy in Motion – The OMNIBUS for Direct Democracy - in Istanbul
There were only
few, in the latter part of the twentieth century, who transformed and placed
their stamp upon the world of art as strongly as did Joseph Beuys, an artist
who saw humankind as the measure of all things. His point of departure was that
creativity is an essential human characteristic; hence, he practiced an
expanded concept of art, which addressed questions of culture, nature and
social structures, reaching far beyond the aesthetic dimension. With the
foundation of the Organization for Direct Democracy by Referendum, Beuys found
an equivalent for his utopian draft of a society as a “social sculpture”.
In 1987,
shortly after Beuys’ death, a number of people came together to carry on his
mission under the name “BUS for Direct Democracy”. From documenta 8, the bus
drove primarily through Germany and the organizers, in the tradition of Beuys,
sought to engage in discussions with people everywhere.
Democracy in Motion is the leitmotif for an unconventional two-month art project launched at the initiative of the Goethe Institute in Athens, and involving twelve
Goethe Institutes from south-eastern Europe, which are now participating in
various ways. This fall, the OMNIBUS will embark on a ten-week journey spanning
twelve countries in south-eastern Europe (Zagreb, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Thessalonica,
Athens, Istanbul, Bucharest, Belgrade...) In accordance with its concept, the
OMNIBUS will provide a venue and a platform for conversations, discussions and various cultural activities.
With the support of the European Union, the entire tour is to be recorded by a
film team; the journey can be followed virtually on the Internet.
The OMNIBUS will be in
Istanbul from 21to 25 October 2009. On 24October it will stop off at the
SakıpSabancıMuseum and participate at
the exhibition “Joseph Beuys and His Students – Works from
the Deutsche Bank Collection”.
The organizers, amongst them Johannes Stuttgens, the master student of Joseph
Beuys, will be at the exhibition to discuss with the visitors and answer their
questions.
P.S: There will be shuttles from Campus to SSM upon high levels of participation. Please contact to FASS Dean's Office until October 24, if you are planning to participate.
