Kerstin cmelka biography template

According to the model of ‘rites of passage’ developed by the anthropologist Arnold van Gennep, an individual moves through several stages of life.

These become evident at points of transition, such as from adolescence to adulthood. To symbolically accompany these moments, ‘rites of passage’ must be performed.

Kerstin cmelka biography template

It is this passage to adulthood that Kerstin Cmelka’s video installation Mikrodrama #11 (2014) addresses. In one scene, the protagonist (played, as in all her videos, by the artist herself) lies next to an ex-lover, who talks to her openly about his 21-year-old girlfriend.

Unlike women his own age, he says, she is spontaneous and carefree. The only downside is the stress of having to constantly educate her. (He recounts an annoying situation where he had to explain to her who Martin Kippenberger was.) The woman listens patiently, surprisingly interested in his new relationship, and responds without condemning his predilection for young students.

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