'The 'Z'-Boats – Modular Barges' is an art project, which started in August 2007 on the river Danube.
In the course of a two month boat journey from Krems/Austria to Ruse/Bulgaria the artist Rainer Prohaska and his crew built a swimming sculpture based on a simple frame construction.
The frame construction consisted of 3 wooden boats (“Zillen”), which were connected with aluminium trusses. The extensions of the sculpture took place during the trip on the river Danube. All used materials and objects where found, bought or exchanged in the regions along the river banks.
The requirements on this „work in progress“ were social functions of the constructed elements (sanitary facilities, places to live and sleep, cooking and relaxing areas), as well as a modular architecture to adapt the construction to specific needs and to transport the whole boat to the exhibition locations. Connections were established exclusively with tension belts and cable straps.
Four artists, Rainer Prohaska, Eva Grumeth and two alternating guest artists, were involved in this project from August 1 to October 3, 2007.
From November 2007 to September 2008 the sculpture, analogue photos and graphics was exhibited in Ruse/Bulgaria, Bucharest/Romania and Krems/Austria.
Additionally a book about the project was published in cooperation with the Kunsthalle Krems and 'Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg'.
[2006 - 2008]
Performed at:
Springer Verlag • Wien & New York • USA
Verlag Für Moderne Kunst Nürnberg • Nürnberg • Germany
Kunsthalle Krems • Krems • Austria
Galeria Posibila • Bucharest • Romania
Knowledge, Creativity & Transformations Of Societies • Vienna • Austria
International Elias Canetti Foundation • Ruse • Bulgaria
River Danube • Austria, Slowakia, Hungary, Kroatia, Serbia, Romania & Bulgaria
University For Applied Arts • Vienna • Austria
Performed by:
Rainer Prohaska
Captain, Artistic Director & Concept: Rainer Prohaska
First Officer & Production: Eva Grumeth / Grundvier
Crew, in order of apperiance on board:
Anita Kaiser
Florian Lechner
Jürgen Ullrich
Daniel Unterberg
Maiwenn Paget
Mark Schanzl
Birgit Fordinal
Paul Rameder
Stefanie Rauch
Christian Klein
Cooperations and Support
Financial support:
Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture
Foreign Ministry (BMEIA), Austria
Cultural department, Lower Austria, Austria
ARGE Donauländer
Kunsthalle, Krems, Austria
ORTE, Krems, Austria
Austrian Culture Forum in Belgrade, Serbia
Austrian Culture Forum in Bucharest, Romania
Austrian Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria
Trading & Consulting 'H.P.C.' GmbH, Vienna, Austria
Mag. Ulf Elser, Krems, Austria
Susanne Prohaska, Krems, Austria
Logistic support:
SCHENKER EOOD Logistics, Sofia, Bulgarien
International Elias Canetti Foundation, Ruse, Bulgaria
Kunsthalle, Krems, Austria
Material support:
Yamaha Austria, Vienna, Austria
Hellermann Tyton GmbH, Vienna, Austria
ATC - Austria Truss Constructions
OBI Baumarkt, Vienna, Austria
Lash und Lift Gmbh, Austria
Bootswerft Meyer, Austria
H. u. J. Steiner GmbH
Exhibitions:;
Kunsthalle, Krems, Austria
International Elias Canetti Foundation, Ruse, Bulgaria
Galeria Posibila, Bucharest, Romania
Publications:
Prof. Christian Reder, Springer Verlag, Wien & New York, USA
Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg, Germany
