Secession Podcast

The idea that natural elements can serve as witnesses to history is central to my work. When you look at the landscapes in my projects – what I refer to as ‘landscapes of violence’ or ‘geographies of violence’ – you see how these environments bear witness to historical trauma and conflict. (Ali Cherri)

This episode was recorded on 19 February 2025 in the context of the exhibition:

Ali Cherri

How I Am Monument

6.12.2024 – 23.2.2025

Ali Cherri was born in Beirut and lives and works in Paris. Spanning film, performance, sculpture, drawing, and installation, his work is inspired both by archaeological artefacts and the natural world, exploring the temporal shifts between ancient civilisations and contemporary societies. Using artefacts as a starting point, he investigates the boundaries of ideologies that underpin the foundations of nations and the myth of national progression. His work considers the links between archaeology, historical narrative and heritage, and the processes of excavation and relocation of cultural objects into museums. Reflecting on different geographies of violence in his native Lebanon but also in the broader region, he interrogates the ways in which political violence disseminates into people’s bodies and the physical and cultural landscape. More

Jeanette Pacher is a curator for contemporary art and has worked at the Secession since 2007, where she has developed numerous exhibitions in a sustained dialogue with artists, often supporting them in the production of new works, and has edited and contributed to related publications. She lectures regularly at the Department of Site-Specific Art at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and, since 2023, has served as a jury member for KÖR – Art in Public Space Vienna. Previously, she was part of the editorial team for the Ö1 Kunstradio radio show and began her curatorial career at Kunsthalle Wien in the mid-1990s.

A publication featuring an essay by Tom Houlton and a conversation with Ali Cherri, Emma Dean, and Jeanette Pacher accompanies the exhibition. https://secession.at/publikation_ali_cherri_EN

Secession Podcast: Artists features artists exhibiting at the Secession.

The Dorotheum is the exclusive sponsor of the Secession Podcast.

Programmed by the board of the Secession.

Jingle: Hui Ye with an excerpt from Combat of dreams for string quartet and audio feed (2016, Christine Lavant Quartett) by Alexander J. Eberhard

Audio Editor: Paul Macheck

Executive Producer: Jeanette Pacher