Berlin, December 11, 2003
In the third curatorial co-operation between Art&Idea and the leading German weekly Die Zeit, the newspaper publishes a Christmas gift paper designed by Kara Walker. Walker is one of the most recognized and controversial African American artists of our time. In her work she explores the representation of identity, race, sexuality and social power structures. She is best known for her “beautiful” black and white cut paper silhouettes juxtaposing the complex issues of race relations and the atrocities of slavery in the antebellum period in the US with the minimal means of profile and shape. In her project for Die Zeit, Walker combines classical Christmas imagery with sexually explicit subject matters. The result is a highly decorative as well as controversial design for a Christmas gift wrapping paper transferring the antiquated cut-paper technique to newspaper print.
