only the lonely

An exhibition about loneliness, being alone – and everything in between

Solitude can entail movement – a journey to an unknown destination, for example. There, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, fuelled by a feeling of limitless freedom, we are liable to repeatedly run into ourselves. But solitude might also mean retreating into own four walls, our own safe haven in which to relax – at least until the walls begin to close in on us. And solitude can also make us stand still, whether in deserted spaces or noisy crowds, in boundless expanses or close confines, outside or inside – suddenly we are our own sole coordinate.

What emerges between isolation and freedom, between proximity and distance, between us, is a state that could scarcely be more varied. We all know the feeling, yet we all imagine that we alone feel this way.

The artists in this exhibition have entered just such a solitary state, whether involuntarily or of their own accord, whether as an observer or active player, whether with or without the intention of sharing it. And having been at times more, at times less, alone – with themselves, with others, with their art –, they now invite us to accompany them, now quietly, now as a chorus, on their eventful journeys.

Artists

Paula Haeni & Stephanie Hess, Andreas Hofer, Esther Kempf, Romain Mader, Christian Megert, Patricia Meier, Giuseppe Micchiché, Sinai Mutzner, Olsen, Nora Schmidt, Simone Stolz

Curated by Cristiana Contu, Nathalie Killias und Selina Schlumpf

Plain English:

This exhibition is about being alone.

Being alone can mean many things.

It can mean mobility.

A journey to an unfamiliar place, for example.

At this unfamiliar place, we see many strangers.

We feel free.

Perhaps boundlessly free.

We encounter ourselves over and over again.

It can also mean retreat.

Retreat into our own four walls, for example.

There, it is quiet.

Sometimes, the silence is constricting.

It feels as if the walls were closing in on us.

Being alone can also mean immobility.

We are alone. We feel empty.

Or we are in a crowd of noisy people.

And still we feel alone.

That can happen anywhere. Even inside us.

Suddenly, we are our own anchor.

To be alone is to be torn between opposites:

between being bound and being free,

between proximity and distance,

between us and others.

We all know the feeling.

Yet we often feel alone with it.

The artists in this exhibition

have all thought a lot about being alone.

Some have done this voluntarily.

Others have done it against their will.

Some have observed others being alone.

Others have experienced it themselves.

Or have tried to share the experience with others.

Sometimes, artists feel even more alone than others.

And sometimes they feel less alone.

By themselves, with others, or with their art.

Some works of art are quiet.

Others have many voices.

They all invite us on a journey about being alone.