Shifting Sitting (for Spinoza)

In Shifting Sitting, Mik continues to reflect on the various faces of democracy in Europe. The figure of Berlusconi and the collapse of the boundaries between politics, jurisdiction and the media are key elements of the work. Shifting Sitting was filmed in Rome’s EUR quarter (Esposizione Universale di Roma), which was built by order of Mussolini in the late 1930s. Presented on three separate screens, the video installation focuses on different types of gatherings, in which it contrasts rigid with more fluid structures. The scenes are set in a court of law, where five men (businessmen or politicians, some of whom bear an uncanny resemblance to Berlusconi) are being questioned. The complete cast comprised some 120 actors and extras. Aernout Mik (Groningen, 1962) is renowned for works that combine video, performance and architecture. Engaged with social and psychological relations, his work takes a penetrating look at contemporary society. The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam has supported Mik’s artistic output, beginning at the earliest stages of his career―resulting in the eight works by Aernout Mik that are in the museum’s collection. An artist of international standing, Mik has held solo exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the world, including those in New York, London, Hannover and Chicago. Mik made Shifting Sitting at the request of Jeu de Paume, the Museum Folkwang and the Stedelijk Museum, and with the support of the Netherlands Foundation for the Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, the Netherlands Film Fund, and the European Cultural Foundation.