SUGAR
Industrial Heritage and Colonialism
< rotor >, Graz, AT
8. 10. 2021 – 29. 1. 2022
curator: Anton Lederer / AT, Margarethe Makovec / AT
exhibiting artists: Ilona Németh / SK, Ferenc Gróf / FR/HU, Elisabeth Gschiel / AT, Fokus Grupa / HR, Isa Rosenberger / AT, Zdena Kolečková / CZ, Luz Blanco / FR, Kyo Kim / FR/KR, Samuel Ferretto / FR, Anna Ponchon / FR, Pia Lanzinger / DE, Alessandra dos Santos / , Resa Pernthaller / AT, Sandro Sulaberidze / GE
The history of sugar begins with cane sugar. Sugar cane has been cultivated for thousands of years. The sweetener appeared in Europe at the time of the Crusades. Around 200 years ago, sugar beet grown in Europe became a serious competitor to imported sugar cane. From then on, the European sugar industry, as well as sugar consumption, experienced a tremendous boom. Today, internationally operating sugar companies dominate the market, and numerous local sugar factories have been closed down.
With their works, the artists in the exhibition SUGAR reflect on the chequered history of sugar production, which comes along with various forms of colonialism.
[Preview image: Isa Rosenberger, from the project about the Enns sugar factory, actress: Elke Herber, photo: Michael Mistelbacher, 2021]
