From September 25 to October 25, 2009 in Moscow will host The Third International Biennale of Contemporary Art. One of the most interesting projects, «City of slaves», prepared by a group of Dutch artists and designers under the name «Workshop Wang Lishaut» (Atelier Van Lieshout).

Workshop was founded in 1995 by the artist Joop van Lishautom (Joep van Lieshout, pp. 1963). It owns a large warehouse in the harbor of Rotterdam. The shop employs 20 staff members: artists, designers, carpenters, specialists in metal, etc. Joep van Lishaut emphasizes that the workshop was organized on the model of a commercial firm. He is the head of «Company», but all staff have an equal right to vote and everyone's opinion counted. Together they produce a huge number of objects: sculptures, installations, furniture, mobile facilities ...

In 2001, the correspondent of the magazine Artforum, Jennifer Allen (Jennifer Allen) in his article on Van Lishautu, noted the similarity of its «Workshop» with «Factory» Andy Warhol (Andy Warhol). However, according to Allen, Warhol and his associates took the elements of everyday life and injected them into the world of art, and «Workshop Wang Lishaut», on the contrary, placing their works in the «real» situation. Center for Aesthetics artists is the human body. In their world, a body devoid of all sacredness, it is constantly exposed to various modifications and violence, which never involves a tragedy, but always justified with the help of some quasi-fictions. Resorting to violence, however, is not typical for the work performed on order. But the theme of the body is always present. Among the works of artists - a mobile bar in the form of the rectum, the house in the form of the uterus and the skull-«container», getting into that, it is possible for me to feel what it means «sensory deprivation». All creations different ratio of irony, humor and admiration morbidity human nature.

Nearly half the work shop are made to order. For example, in 1999 Lishaut and his assistants have created rooms for scientific sessions for the Maastricht library, and in 2000 formalized parking of bicycles in the city of The Hague. The most famous client workshop is Dr. Rebecca Gomperz (Rebecca Gomperts), founder of the movement «Women on the waves». Her «offspring» - floating clinic, where women are free to have an abortion (only in the first trimester, with the help of pills). These clinics appear in those countries where abortion is prohibited. They drop anchor outside the territorial waters of coastal States, and it is believed that a patient on board in the territory of the Netherlands. As the doctor says, a ban on abortion does not solve the problem. On the contrary, because of him repeatedly increases the number of illegal abortions, which often ends miserably - women die or become infertile. In the floating clinics doctors Gomperz patient may also receive free contraceptives. «Workshop Wang Lishaut» has developed a portable gynecological office under the name A-Portable, which can be installed on chartered floating facilities.

Funds received from the execution of orders, Wang Lishaut and its employees invest in their own projects, much more «brave», than what they do for clients. This does not mean that when you create objects to the state or private enterprises artists acted with some principles or alter its aesthetics. Most of the works produced under the label Atelier Van Lieshout, utilitarian, but the objects of design can be described only in part. Each work of art - an allusion to another world, fascinating and nightmarish at the same time, which embodied many of the key to modern culture and society ideas. The draft AVL-Ville this world is more like a utopia, in the «City of slaves» - on anti-Utopia.

AVL-Ville - a real mini-city built specifically for the staff workshop. He lasted eight months. Live there might not all, but only those who worked at the Van Lishauta more than a year and «proved its seriousness». Wang Lishaut announced the town, situated in the port of Rotterdam, «Free State». In AVL-Ville was really something in common with the state: its own constitution, as well as «national» flag, currency and postage stamps. However, the main purpose of AVL-Ville was a profit, so there were not admitted by those who are not engaged in the production of works of art. Residents of AVL-Ville must have been to ensure maximum independence of the town from the outside world and to protect the environment. All their food was grown, project participants themselves. They had wind plants, water treatment plants and power stations operating on debris and biogas, as well as a device for the production of this most biogas by processing the waste of people and animals. In AVL-Ville has its own hospital, employing more doctors and nurses. Residents of the city could even get an education, which, however, with the traditional universities had little in common: rather, it was like to train new employees, who arrived in the company. «Students» comprehend the wisdom of agriculture, medicine, art production facilities and marketing, and training was practical: participants who have completed a course in the future were to engage in precisely what they were taught.

It is interesting that the people of AVL-Ville is also produced their own weapons, including bombs. Of course, they fight with no one going, but, according to Winterfylleþ van Lishauta, «weapon - a powerful symbol». With the help of his members showed the rest of the world that they are willing to fight and die for our way of life.

One of the ideological support of the project, according to Wang Lishauta became a treatise «Sovereign» Niccolo Machiavelli - in particular, it contains the idea that human nature to desire for power and wealth, and this tendency prevails over morality. Currently most power in the world has a large business. Says Joep van Lishaut, «I accept the fact that the world is bad and that people need money, and what they are doing everything possible in order to obtain wealth and power. You can very well live in this world, if you understand how it works ». According to the artist Lokkett Alexandra (Alexandra Lockett), AVL-Ville as a work of art - is an attempt to understand how our world is arranged, where the laws and way of life dictated by the business.

Another object of the founders of AVL-Ville was the liberation from the shackles of society, from the set of rules. Project participants do not pay their rents, but they were instructed to design your own home - no «a planned development». They were required to work diligently for the benefit of the company, to take care of the environment and not interfere with others live, and have fun and «to express themselves» as they might like. According to van Winterfylleþ Lishauta, the state intervenes in all spheres of human life, including sexual exploitation: beds, which are sold in shops are only two people, which is a consequence of «unwritten law» of monogamy. Wang Lishaut believes that people should be given opportunities to satisfy their sexual desires (of course, if these desires are not associated with violence). One of the most famous creations was the workshop of the bed, which can fit 16 people. Set it in their homes residents AVL-Ville is not required, but if someone comes into my head to arrange an orgy - a «welcome». Another invention Van Lishauta and companies - Robotec (2000), «container», where you can have sex with robots.

All the buildings in town were mobile. In an interview with Artforum Van Lishaut spoke of his desire to create a «branch» AVL-Ville in America and Asia. But fate had decided otherwise - a project shut down due to disagreements with the local government (the «Workshop Wang Lishaut» were some of the necessary permits). But some inventions AVL-Ville in handy for the next big project - «City of slaves».

The product on which work began in 2005, is a model city for 200 thousand inhabitants. The city is organized as a company that brings great profit: 7 billion euros «clean» year. The work of most employees are not paid. 7 hours per day they work in the office, 7 hours - in the fields, even 7 o'clock sleep. «On a», ie, food, showers and entertainment (in particular, visits to a brothel), they takes only three hours. Of course, the company clean: recycled everything, including the inhabitants of the city.

Project «Workshop Wang Lishaut» - criticism of large companies that are willing to forgo moral standards in order to improve profitability and efficiency. In Moscow will be presented of the «City of slaves» - Cradle to Cradle ( «From the Cradle to Cradle»), sample processing system of people. The installation will be on display in the shops of the White and Red in the Center for Contemporary Art VINZAVOD.

At Auction «Workshop Wang Lishaut» appear infrequently. They exhibited at the auction a total of 21 times, 11 of them - in 2009. April 30 at London's Phillips de Pury record was set - «skull to sensory deprivation», which we described in this article, was sold for 38 thousand pounds in Estimé 30-40 thousand. However, other works of the studio to get close to this record so far failed: in addition to «Skulls», none of their creation is not broke the mark of ten thousand pounds.

article prepared by Julia Maksimova, AI

Sources: ateliervanlieshout.com , artforum.com , ladypirate.co.uk , designboom.com , artprice.com , artinvestment.ru

PS On the third parties Moscow Biennale of contemporary art can be found:

third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. AEC F
Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Christian Markle
Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Yuri Albert
Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. El Anatsui
third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Mikhail Grobman
third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Tony Cragg
third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Paul Pepperstein