Andrea Pichl focuses on norms and standards in everyday architecture, working with the societal ideas reflected in these guidelines. In her exhibition Wertewirtschaft / Values of Economy, she examines the exchange of money and goods between East and West Germany during the German division and afterwards.

Pichl removes items and spaces from their original context and scrutinises them: Which image of humanity and notion of social coexistence imbue them? How do invisible structures such as state power, flows of capital and historical upheaval manifest themselves? Where does the public sphere end and the private one begin? When does a utopian vision turn into dystopian reality?

This is the ninth edition of a series of publications accompanying solo exhibitions of contemporary artists at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart. It comprises a curatorial essay by Sven Beckstette, an interview with the artist, and a contribution by Peter Richter that situates Andrea Pichl’s work within a larger context.

Text in English and German.