Fake it till you make it

ARTISTS: Andy Kassier, Christian Falsnaes, Isabella Fürnkäs, Basim Magdy, Pia Sirén, Marianne Vlaschits, Anna Witt

14 April – 27 May 2018
MeetFactory, Prague, Czech Republic

The exhibition «Fake it till you make it» at the Center for Contemporary Art MeetFactory in Prague takes on the increasing trend of pushing oneself to a more efficient and improved persona through different strategies and methods proposed in ‘self-help’ books. In times when life becomes a performance due to the permanent attachment to and accessibility of (social) media, it hardly comes as a surprise that we turn to self-help books and their appealing promises of healthier, happier and more successful lives.

In a humorous manner this exhibition presents three chapters on core themes in the self-help culture: «Fulfill your potential», «Be religious about your workout» and «Take a deep breath». With this, the show mirrors existing self-improvement tactics such as introducing rituals to your life, establishing forms of self-marketing or positive thinking and getting out of your comfort zone.

The audience can expect artworks – partially commissioned – that introduce methods and strategies on how to increase one’s well-being or gain a winning position in society. Some of the artworks reflect a shiny and glamorous vision of reality, while others reveal a behind-the-scenes view of many self-help approaches and their pseudo-philosophies.

CURATORS:
Marie Graftieaux, Nora Mayr, Gilles Neiens (as insitu)