Most people know you from public appearances at art exhibitions and vernissages where you get a lot of attention and are photographed. Your photographs generate a very special dynamic in public, inasmuch as your image is further disseminated. Was it intentionally planned this way? A: We've delegated the documentation of the performance to the audience, without a specific contract. The audience photographs spontaneously and we ask that they mail us a print. This was before the time of mobile phones.
E: Regardless of whether we appeared or traveled the media always followed us, often faster than we traveled ourselves. We were published in big newspapers, which surprised us and made us happy. We recognized very early that an autonomous work was beginning to emerge.
A: The dissemination of pictures as a work of art!! We appear in various categories ranging from culture to miscellaneous. Our image has always worked toward contemporary art. Mediaplastic is our neologism and in our understanding concerned with the expanded concept of art, Beuys' so-called social sculpture, in the sense of the concept of an ephemeral sculpture.
And it worked? Were these photographs actually sent to you? A: We have received many photographs, a huge archive has been created.
E: Of course, we have to talk a lot, especially at large events. During the Biennales we handed out a short texts so to inspire people to mail us their photographs. Unfortunately only a small percentage of them responded. We've always been clear about the fact that the quantity of pictures was not important, but that they are in the world. It became interesting when we realized that behind every picture the photographer became visible. We've stored all the photographs in envelopes.
A: This CUM photograph collection is a huge historical document. Since 1991, we have collected photos from people, with commentaries, with letters, with envelopes from all over the world and now we include digital images and have recently added selfies, mostly as threesomes and as groups (laughs)!
Looking around in your studio your work is obviously much more multidimensional than the performance part in the public space. A: Yes, that's very confusing for people but great for us. As an artist you create a work that is completely permeated by your thinking, feeling and the events that happen in your time. This also concerns the gender debate, our gender crossing that many people can't take, there's no compartment for it.
E: Many are surprised that we have exhibited paintings. At the Biennale di Venezia for example we showed six Target paintings and many people were completely irritated by that, yet at the same time excited to learn that we also paint.
In your opinion EVA & ADELE have not been completely accepted as a Gesamtkunstwerk in the public awareness? E: Yes, one could say so. Because of the fact that we performed so much at art fairs we received offers from galleries. However, we intentionally resisted the temptation. Where others have grabbed the opportunity instantly and burned out, we've resisted and slowed down.
A: To us it was and still is important that after performative periods in public we take time to retreat into the studio. We are really not as extrovert as our appearances might suggest. We enjoy being alone and private, resembling classical artists who like to be left in peace and work in the studio. The first moments of a performance are always a bit awkward. However, it was our deliberate decision to dare to step out of the studio. Many people haven't understood that yet up until this day, it is therefore extremely important that we continue with painting.
E: We have developed larger work blocks that have not yet been shown in public. Over the years, very different groups of work developed almost simultaneously in the studio. Sometimes we showed something else in order to move slowly towards that which was developing and consuming so much time in the studio. Therefore we can do larger exhibitions now and hopefully excite wider audiences.
Neither of you are born Berliners, would you call Berlin home? A: Yes, Berlin is our home. It has a large social scene with many artists whom we know, whom we meet at art openings and with whom we have an exchange. Our apartment and our studio are situated in the vicinity of the Deutsche Oper the artistic director of which is a friend of ours. We attend a lot of premieres and meet opera and music friends. In 1989 Berlin had attracted us completely. Even with the wall Berlin was the freest city in the German-speaking world. We moved to Berlin right after we met. We knew we wanted to be here although we did have a problem with the wall; it was disturbing.
You say of yourselves, "Where we are is a Museum". Which means that you are always keeping up the performance of EVA & ADELE? E: Exactly. We never cease being EVA & ADELE - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, year after year, for twenty-five years now.
A: Our work contains the most varied media, including performance and direct communication. This is also associated with risk. We never know, who we have in front of us. It is an absolutely insecure terrain and can change at any time. We take a maximum of risk moving without any protection in public. Whether we visit our camper on the outskirts of Berlin by S-train, or pick it up or take it to the garage, whether we go somewhere by subway, we never know what's going to happen, what's going on with people, what in them we are triggering.
Haven't you been once attacked because of your appearance? The world is unfortunately not always tolerant. A: Yes, we have had one confrontation but were able to control it. Many people who want to get rid of their aggressions don't count with the power we have and need to have. We're aggressive, we look them directly in the eye showing that they can't mess with us. We smile and look firmly. The smile and the direct look are weapons. Very few people can endure a direct look. When we were still living in Schöneberg, we had one encounter: four really dark figures walked behind us and we thought shit. We didn't try to get away quickly, but stopped in front of our door and smiled at the four. They returned our smiles and one of them said, "these two are really cool." (laughs)
E: We could've been beaten up by them. Since we lead a performative life we have to think about how we can protect ourselves, how we can master situations. We have to be very awake, fully alert.
A: One should never quarrel on the street. Others notice it instantly, this too we have learned over the years. Maybe other people are careful as well but they are not as aware. Our awareness of art, life, love, quarreling, reconciliation, about everything has sharpened enormously. Due to the fact that we wanted to keep our performative work at its height, we had to reflect a lot.
Apart from the risk that you continuously confront, it must be very demanding being EVA & ADELE consistently. E: Yes, it's very strenuous. We have to be extremely conscious of our time, have to be very aware of how to take care of ourselves, how to get rest because everything requires so much force.
Interview: Michael Wuerges Photos: Florian Langhammer
Links: EVA & ADELE website EVA & ADELE at Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
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