➔ www.portikusunderconstruction.de

➔ Publikation

Portikus is an institution of contemporary art in Frankfurt am Main. Since its foundation, in 1987, it has played a fundamental part in the renowned State Academy of Fine Arts—Städelschule. Helke Bayrle has—on her own initiative—filmed the installations of exhibitions that have been held at Portikus since the end of 1992. The new website www.portikusunderconstruction.de makes Helke Bayrle’s entire archive—now comprising 157 short films—available to the public. This decision also bears witness to the fact that the archive is itself a work in progress and, as such, will continue to grow in the coming years.

Helke Bayrle’s films go beyond the documentary. A playful and thought-provoking working process tha creates various short films from hours of material characterizes her practice. Her films are subjective, intimate observations of artists’ personalities and of the creative process of individual installations. It is the continuity of her practice and the openness of her approach that make Helke Bayrle’s films unique. In each one, she follows a different logic as demanded by the situation at hand.

Portikus occupied three different locations. Portikus Under Construction sheds light on the history of the institution as well as the variety of artistic interventions that have come to life in its various locations.