Feinde: an Austrian Enemies project - May 2015

One of the most ambitious international Enemies projects yet, Feinde featured three performance events in London, one exhibition and a major role at the European Literature Night in Edinburgh, all within May 2014. Thanks to the exceptional support of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Feinde brought together some of the continent's most dynamic poets, that truly represent the width and power of the Austrian avant-garde: Ann Cotten, Jörg Piringer, Max Höfler and Esther Strauss. As well as presenting their own work, these four Austrian poets presented brand new collaborations with British poets including James Wilkes, Prudence Chamberlain, Robert Herbert McClean and SJ Fowler, across sound poetry, visual poetry and language poetry. A powerful, intense expression of 21st century European poetry, through Feinde bonds were made across literary communities that will last long into the future.

Feinde at the Rich Mix Arts Centre: Main Space - May Friday 8th 2015

35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road : E1 6LA - http://www.richmix.org.uk

The premiere performance event of the Feinde project, it took place in the main space of the Rich Mix Arts Centre, showcasing 8 brand new collaborations from the best of 21st European avantgarde poetics, including the collaborations between the four visiting Austrian poets and their core collaborative counterparts. 

SJ Fowler & Jörg Piringer - Max Höfler & Robert Herbert McClean - James Wilkes & Esther Strauss - Ann Cotten & Prudence Chamberlain - Tim Atkins & Jeff Hilson - Philip Terry & James Davies - Erica Scourti & Mira Mattar - Jonathan Bohman & Adam Bohman

Feinde at the Hardy Tree Gallery - May 1st to 14th: an exhibition of concrete poetry

http://hardytreegallery.com/ 119 Pancras Road. NW1 1UN - Gallery Hours: Thurs – Sun 12pm – 6pm

visit www.theenemiesproject.com/feindeexhibition to discover more. This two week exhibition celebrated the visual poetry of Feinde with over 20 artists exhibiting poetry that explores the conceptual, the concrete and the material. 

The exhibitions included:
Anatol Knotek, Victoria Bean, Jen Calleja, Simon Barraclough, Ben Borek, Tim Atkins, Ollie Evans, Jeff Hilson, Peter Jaeger, mjb, Nat Raha, David Kelly-Mancaux, Jörg Piringer, Ann Cotten, Esther Strauss, Robert Herbert McClean & Max Hofler.

May Sunday 10th - special view reading

May Tuesday 12th - Feinde at the Austrian Cultural Forum

The final performance in London for the Feinde project took place in the beautiful environs of the Austrian Cultural Forum itself, just off Hyde Park. This evening allowed the visiting poets to present their work with solo readings and performances, to show why they are respected world wide as pioneers in their fields, and they were be joined by equally brilliant writers from the London scene.

Feinde at Unesco European Literature Night Edinburgh - May 14th 2014

The European Literature Night 2014 is being produced by the Enemies project and acting as the grand denouement of the Feinde project, the four Austrian visiting poet will travel to Edinburgh to present their solo works and brand new collaborations at the evenings closing show at Summerhall.

The poets will collaborate with British and Scottish poets and present their own work, and go on, on may 15th to read at Ian Hamilton Finlay's famous Little Sparta poetry garden.

More details on the specific times and location of the ELN program can be found here: www.theenemiesproject.com/eln

Bios:

Ann Cotten, born in Ames Iowa, is an Austrian writer and experimenter with some experience in Berlin. She has dealt with theory and Japanese with no final results but has produced several books.

Max Höfler, born in 1978, is a Graz, Austria, based author, sound artist, curator and part of the artist association Forum Stadtpark and the international radio art collective radia. He is the founder of the net art project Eigenheimgalerie GG44 and studied German literature, philosophy and history of art and did his doctor degree on Post-Wittgensteinian aesthetics. Max Höfler is writing experimental texts, which are influenced by the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. For his books he was awarded several prizes and grants. In 2012 he did a 7-hour radio art live show for the Biennale in São Paulo together with the radio art collective radia. http://max.hoefler.mur.at

Jörg Piringer born 1974. currently living in vienna, austria. member of the institute for transacoustic research. member of the vegetable orchestra. master degree in computer science. works as a freelance artist and researcher in the fields of electronic music, radio art, sound and visual electronic poetry, interactive collaborative systems, online communities, live performance, sound installation, computer games and video art. http://joerg.piringer.net

Esther Strauß, born 1986, grew up in the Dada village Tarrenz / Tyrol. Strauß paints, writes, performs, curates, is in search for lighthearted experiments. She connects text and performance, uses the woods as her studio, tells tales with a love for gaps. 2005 - 2011 studied painting in the class of Ursula Hübner and cultural sciences at the University of Fine  Arts Linz. 2011 - 2012 lecturing at University of Fine Arts Linz: performative cooperation entre chien et loup between art universities of Linz and Bristol. Numerous exhibitions, readings and awards. Recently: RLB art award 2014. Lives, breaths and works best at Vienna, Bristol, Dehli, Tyrol, anywhere, while walking.

SJ Fowler is a poet, artist, martial artist & vanguardist. He works in the modernist and avant garde traditions, across poetry, fiction, sonic art, visual art, installation and performance. He has published six collections of poetry and been commissioned by the Tate, Highlight Arts, Mercy, Penned in the Margins and the London Sinfonietta. He has been translated into 13 languages and performed at venues across the world, from Mexico city to Erbil, Iraq. He is the poetry editor of 3am magazine and is the curator of the Enemies project. www.stevenjfowler.com

James Wilkes writes poetry, scripts for performance, and books. He has collaborated widely with scientists, artists, composers and poets, and is currently Associate Director of Hubbub, an international interdisciplinary team exploring the dynamics of rest, noise, tumult, activity and work as the first residents of the Hub at Wellcome Collection. www.renscombepress.co.uk / www.hubbubgroup.org / @wilkesjames

Robert Herbert McClean is a writer and audio visual artist. His book, Pangs!, is forthcoming from Test Centre in 2015.

Prudence Chamberlain is a Visiting Lecturer at Royal Holloway University, a poet and a flippant feminist.  She has read at Hi-Zero, POLYply and Runnymede Literary Festival, amongst others, and her work can be found in Lunar Review, 3:AM and HYSTERIA.