SPIESSER

“SPIESSER” are patriotic morsels of food which can be served on thematically appropriate events, such as opening receptions and similar events. The title literally means skewer(s) in German, but is more commonly used as an insult aimed at people deemed narrow-minded and/ or bourgeois. The appetizers are best served cold, on a silver platter somewhere in a corner, so they can subtly unleash subconscious desires, while not immediately meeting the eye. Visitors of the exhibition are offered a bite with some friendly words along the lines of “Would you like a skewer?” Ideally, this will initiate a conversation. Visitors may keep the flag if they wish, and they tend to pin it to their clothing. My flags have exactly the same format like the tiny country flags that are very popular in Germany as a party decoration, especially during international soccer championships. My aim is to satirize unreflected outbursts of patriotism, which are rare in contemporary Germany, but all the more intense whenever they occur. The possibility that unobservant visitors may completely fail to detect the satire is part of the artwork.