In German, "You Can't Make This Up" means something like "Kannste Dir nicht ausdenken". This is an apt motto for Silke Schönfeld's solo exhibition at the HMKV Hartware MedienKunstVerein. Her filmic productions are political reflections that often take place in unexpected spatial and temporal references and move between documentary and fiction. As the French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard wrote, the difference between objective documentary film and art lies in being involved: "As soon as you are interested, fiction is involved." And the fact that Silke Schönfeld is interested becomes immediately apparent when you watch her films. It's about humanity - including our own.
Silke Schönfeld's works interweave personal stories with historical and social contexts. For the artist, the appeal of the documentary lies in finding the general or common in the specific. As a participant observer, Silke Schönfeld focuses on individuals as well as social groups. As she follows her protagonists, she documents memories, rituals, ideologies and processes of identity formation. Her films do not claim to be exhaustive, but focus on subtle social phenomena and structures shaped by communities.
Silke Schönfeld's exhibition You Can't Make This Up comprises five large-format video installations from the last five years - one of which is a new production created especially for this exhibition and celebrating its world premiere here.
The exhibition is accompanied by a publication (de/en).
Silke Schönfeld, *1988 in Idar Oberstein, lives and works in Dortmund.