Sven Johne. The Greatest Show on Earth
2011, HD Video, 22:56 min

Magazin 4 – Bregenzer Kunstverein
07. – 22. März 2013, Di bis So 14 – 18 Uhr

The circus arena is still a place of desire and of different dream worlds. In Sven Johne’s ›The Greatest Show on Earth‹ it becomes a metaphor of being. A man, well illuminated on a stage, talks in the cadences between master of ceremonies, moderator and carnival barker to an invisible audience. He announces one attraction after the other and everything appears subjected to the bidding of an economy of attention that always lusts for new sensations, aggrandizement. Rather quickly his proclamations arouse doubts and discomfort, everything turns out to be illusoriness. The vanity of modernity, the concept of ‘Higher, Faster, Further’, mutates into a metaphor of a societal condition that craves exciting competitions, luxury and speculative earnings, the accumulation is accompanied by weariness and a feeling of emptiness.

Sven Johne’s work marks the introduction to Magazin4’ s project >six month for the next< which is installed to run for two years. ›The Greatest Show on Earth‹ ‘serves’ as an advanced announcement to ›Verhau*‹: 50 works, 50 artists. Different stagings and events will emerge from this convolution of 50 works until summer. On March 22nd (7-11 p.m.) this ‘showgame’ will start with an exhibition performance.