THE FAT ARCHIVE. Joy is Fat!

Opening: Fri / 10 July / 7 pm
with a contribution of Friedrich Schorb:
–žVom Embonpoint zur Epidemie - Körpermaße in Kultur, Politik und Medizin–œ

Fri / 17 July / 19 pm / film –žLa grande bouffe–œ by Marco Ferreri
Fri / 24 July / 19 pm / film –žTaxidermia–œ by György Pälfi
Fri / 31 July / 19 pm / guiding tour: Main Research - Preventive Self

Finissage: Sat / 8. August / 7 pm



Joy is Fat is an exhibition project by the interdisciplinary research group preventive self, that has been collaborating for two years with scientists from various disciplines, such as ethnology, medicine and psychology, as well as artists concerning the theme of obesity/ cardiovascular illnesses, in relation to the preventive self – foresighted, problem focussed and self dependent way of life.
The specific projects deal with the question of to what degree representations of the human body has changed during the past 100 years in light of the significant accumulation of date in the human sciences.

THE FAT ARCHIVE. Joy is Fat presents the multitude of artistic and scientific imagery collected throughout the research phase. Thereby, the mostly text based scientific research will be expanded. Artistic work on view in the research archive presents a broad discourse and invite participation and commentary.
The starting point for the art project questions the development and representation of body image as it relates to the artistic and social fantasy and demand for a –œperfect– body; and how the desire for unlimited access to this body, especially as it relates to a quest for perfect health, transforms the human image. The art project makes social norms, representational requirements and role models visually palatable through an exchange concerning aestheticization, stigmatization, humour, disdain, as well as a fascinated or reserved viewing, voyeuristic gaze onto that which is labelled abnormal. At the same time, obesity has been legitimised in a variety of media as the exotic, the erotic, the joyful, self-confident but also the repulsive and disgusting.


a project by Sofia Bempeza / Steffen Krüger / Anja Sommer / Can Sungu

mentor: Wolfgang Knapp