Berlin and Detroit swap artists
Michael H. Hodges / The Detroit News
As part of an ongoing program at Pontiac's Museum of New Art (MONA), nine Berlin artists will exhibit their work in "Changing Cities: Berlin," opening Saturday evening and running through Aug. 9.
Works will include drawings, paintings, video and photography.
In November, in the other half of this intriguing artistic exchange, a group of Detroit artists -- all in the MONA show, as well -- will exhibit at Berlin's Galerie Eva Bracke.
Why show Berliners in Michigan or Detroiters in Berlin?
MONA director Jef Bourgeau's talks about the difficulty Detroit-area artists have in selling their work -- a burden shared by artists in most American towns that aren't New York or Los Angeles. What he didn't expect was the enthusiasm many foreign galleries have for showing in Detroit.
"It's amazing," says Bourgeau. "I mean, given the pall that hangs over Detroit, you figure, how excited can they be? And the answer is they're really excited."
Indeed, the Berlin Department of Cultural Affairs awarded each of the Germans a grant so they could fly here for Saturday's opening.
Also exhibiting will be Detroiters Mary Fortuna, Dietmar Krumrey, Rachel Hunt, Cyrus Karimipour, Alison Wong, Hartmut Austen, Stig Eklund, Marla Karimipour, Kelly Frank, Jacque Liu, Vagner Whitehead and Kyohei Abe.
Much more cultural exchange is on the way, with Detroit shows planned in Beijing, London and Iceland, and vice-versa.
Indeed, says Bourgeau, "A blue-chip gallery we never would have considered approaching approached us."
It's a cool reminder that, never mind what we sometimes think, Detroit has more international cachet than you can shake a stick at.