The contemplation of time can be thought of as a dance that fast- forwards and rewinds physical memory, thus enabling a turnaround and a return, an assurance of words and sounds, a re- sensing of loneliness or solidarity, of energy, sweat, images, gestures and bodies. James Gregory Atkinson’s artistic practice emerges through time-based media and considerations arising from his involvement with film, photography, performance, dance and music, in the production of his own images and the examination of external images appropriated as objets trouvés.
In his first institutional solo exhibition, Atkinson illuminates a neglected part of African-American–German history on personal, social and political levels. Along with his specially produced video 6 Friedberg-Chicago, which was filmed in the former US Army base in Friedberg, Atkinson presents a non-linear archive of texts, images, objects, multi-media sources and eye-witness accounts relating to Black soldiers in Germany and their children born here. The archive was developed in collaboration with the art historian Mearg Negusse and the sociologist and political scientist Eric Otieno, and enables a different reading of history that allows users their own interpretations in the sense of a ‘counter-memory’ (Hal Foster).
Curated by Rebekka Seubert, the exhibition was on view until March 13 at Dortmunder Kunstverein.
James Gregory Atkinson, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, 2021/22, exhibition view, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Germericans (Sabrina und Marvin Kuhn), Kai Matussik, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, CST/CET Office, 2021, clocks, photography, counter, installation view, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Germericans (Sabrina und Marvin Kuhn), Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Frohe Zuversicht (Detail), 2021, video, painting Kai Matussik, St. CG Hommage an Charly Graf, der deutsche Mohamed Ali (2020), installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’ Dortmunder Kunstverein, 2021/22. Courtesy: the artist, Kai Matussik, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’ exhibition view, Dortmunder Kunstverein, 2021/22. Courtesy: the artist, Kai Matussik, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Preußisches Liebesglück (Detail), 2021, wall paper, photography, peacock chair, audio piece, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Preußisches Liebesglück (Detail), 2021, wall paper, photography, peacock chair, audio piece, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Preußisches Liebesglück (Detail), 2021, wall paper, photography, peacock chair, audio piece, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Preußisches Liebesglück (Detail), 2021, wall paper, photography, peacock chair, audio piece, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Preußisches Liebesglück (Detail), 2021, wall paper, photography, peacock chair, audio piece, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Preußisches Liebesglück (Detail), 2021, wall paper, photography, peacock chair, audio piece, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Preußisches Liebesglück (Detail), 2021, wall paper, photography, peacock chair, audio piece, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, CST/CET Office (Detail), 2021, clocks, photography, counter, installation view, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein . Courtesy: the artist, Germericans (Sabrina und Marvin Kuhn), Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, CST/CET Office (Detail), 2021, clocks, photography, counter, installation view, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, 2021/22, exhibition view, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Zeitkapsel Transformer, 2021, photography, documents, transformer, books, various materials, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Archiv des Hamburger Instituts für Sozialforschung, Germericans (Sabrina und Marvin Kuhn), Ika Hügel-Marshall, The Lisbet Tellefsen Collection, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Roland Baege
James Gregory Atkinson, Frohe Zuversicht (Detail), 2021, video, painting Kai Matussik, St. CG Hommage an Charly Graf, der deutsche Mohamed Ali (2020), installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’ Dortmunder Kunstverein, 2021/22. Courtesy: the artist, Kai Matussik, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, 2021/22, Text: Interview Marlon Riggs & Ron Simmons, in: Sexuality, Televison, and Death: A Black Gay Dialogue on Malcolm X: in our own image, Joe Wood, New York St. Martin’s Press (1992), exhibition view, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Zeitkapsel Weltproblem, 2021, photography, documents, books, various materials, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Archiv des Hamburger Instituts für Sozialforschung, Brandy Albrecht, Maria Höhn, The Lisbet Tellefsen Collection, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Roland Baege
James Gregory Atkinson, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’ (Detail), Jürgen Draeger: Günther Kaufmann – Querelle Zyklus, 1982, installation view Dortmunder Kunstverein, 2021/22. Courtesy: the artist, Pietro Draeger, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Zeitkapsel Whity, 2021, photography, documents, books, various materials, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Archiv des Hamburger Instituts für Sozialforschung, MARCHIVUM, The Lisbet Tellefsen Collection, UB TU Dortmund, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Roland Baege
James Gregory Atkinson, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, 2021/22, exhibition view, Dortmunder Kunstverein . Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, 6 Friedberg-Chicago, 2021, 4K video with sound, 6‘16‘‘ loop, installation view, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein . Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’ (Detail), 2021/22, film poster Lothar Lambert: 1 Berlin-Harlem, 1974, installation view Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Zeitkapsel BBC (Detail), 2021, documents, sculpture Marc Brandenburg Paper Weight, 2012, photography, various materials, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Marc Brandenburg, Konstantin Feiertag, Philipp von Külmer, The Lisbet Tellefsen Collection, Tyrown Vincent, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Roland Baege
James Gregory Atkinson, Zeitkapsel BBC (Detail), 2021, documents, sculpture Marc Brandenburg Paper Weight, 2012, photography, various materials, installation view ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein, 2021/22. Courtesy: the artist, Marc Brandenburg, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, 6 Friedberg-Chicago, 2021, 4K video with sound, 6‘16‘‘ loop, installation view, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein . Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Roland Baege
James Gregory Atkinson, Your Job in Germany, 2021, wall paper, mannequin, lederhosen, installation view, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein . Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
James Gregory Atkinson, Your Job in Germany (Detail), 2021, wall paper, mannequin, lederhosen, installation view, ‘6 Friedberg-Chicago’, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Courtesy: the artist, Dortmunder Kunstverein. Photo: Jens Franke
