undo

The English term “UNDO” has become universal since it is used for a computer shortcut. One can only undo something in the virtual world, in reality this remains impossible.

When Undo 1998 was shown at the Shedhalle, the internet and what were then known as ‘new media’ then carried hope of a democratization of knowledge(s). The technological possibilities promised a boost for accessibility, for emancipatory endeavors, and for self-organized forms of archiving. History cannot be reversed, neither then nor now. Today, the orange letters create a concrete space for remembering values and concerns whose effectiveness may not yet be entirely exhausted.

Sabina Lang (*1972) and Daniel Baumann (*1967) live in Burgdorf (Switzerland) and have collaborated since 1990. Their body of work includes installations, sculptures, large-scale wall or floor paintings, and architectural interventions. The two artists work in a wide range of materials—wood, metal, paint, carpet and inflatable structures—but their true medium is space. Most of their works are site-specific, some are modular and can be adapted to different situations. Many of their pieces can not only be viewed but actually used as well while others merely feign usability or artfully subvert it.

Through careful prior analysis of the location and context of their interventions, Lang/Baumann initiate a dialogue with the existing situation, often playfully upending expectations and disrupting patterns of perception. With their opulent imagery they deliberately seek a delicate balance between clearly defined categories like public and private space, familiar and strange, art and functionality.

They were represented at the Shedhalle in 1996 with the work Xposition—Service for Exhibition Concepts at Good Art Locations and in 1998 with Undo in the group exhibition Schnittstelle/Produktion (Interface/Production).