Zitza Fabrik, Zeitz (2019)
Once again returning to the city of Zeitz, Germany, If Paradise Is Half As Nice #9 took on the challenge of working in the former Zitza cosmetic factory, an immense and extremely run-down building located in the city-centre. For this edition, we invited the guest artists Esher Kokmeijer and Niek Wagemans to live and work for the entire five week duration of the project. For documentation of the project, documentary filmmaker Adam Wakeling pursued a unique strategy. In addition to Adam’s own video footage, every artist was also provided with a camera to record their own process. In the final video these diverse perspectives offer a layered and insightful view into the project. In this edition, the degree of dilapidation of the rundown building presented the group with not only creative challenges, but also safety and security challenges as well. Working as a team, the project was able to secure the dangerous conditions of the space and managed to safely present their artworks to a large audience. For the final closing event, nearly 2000 visitors found their way to see the final presentation of the artworks.
Exhibition: August 23–25, 2019. Participants: Daan Botlek, Pim Palsgraaf, Willem Besselink, Ties Ten Bosch, Jordy Walker, Michiel Jansen, Regina Kelaita, Toine Klaassen, Esther Kokmeijer, Niek Wagemans (artists), Rainer Hartl (lecture), Sentomea, Bee Lincoln (dj’s), Adam Wakeling (documentary).
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Adam Wakeling chose a different approach for his documentary of If Paradise Is Half As Nice #9. He gave every artist a GoPro camera. Mixed with his own footage, this more personal footage resulted in a documentary that shows the individual experiences of the artists, as well as the overall development of the project. Official world première on Dutch TV NPO2 Extra. December, 2021.
Screening in the framework of ‘Salangen Biennale II – If Paradise Is Half As Nice #13’. Lundbrygga (Sør-Troms Museum), Sjøvegan, July 8th, 2023. Screening in the framework of ‘If Paradise Is Half As Nice #12’. Geh8, Dresden, August 25, 2022. Screening in the framework of Regina Kelaita’s solo exhibition ‘Fugue State’. Raum für drastische Maßnahmen, Berlin, November 25, 2021. Screening in the framework of Esther Kokmeijer’s residency at Frei.Raum.Direkt. Geh8, Dresden, August 19, 2021.
Crowd funding event. Het Wilde Weten, Rotterdam. January 18, 2020.
For the most part, ‘If Paradise Is Half As Nice’ is directly funded by a dedicated group of fans in the form of crowd funding.
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If Paradise Is Half As Nice