West early started to ponder the relationship that exists between master and apprentice and the complex dynamics inherent in this relationship ­ in both directions. It is traditionally based on the principle that those who learn a skill do so by working ­ and sometimes even by living ­ with someone who is already formally trained. For today's young artists it means an opportunity to get to know gallery owners, museums and people working in the art world. The role of master is also intimately associated with the concept of the Great Genius ­ the genius of the original. West does not believe in the notion of the great artistic genius, nor does he believe in the great masterpiece. He is more interested in collaborating with other artists, integrating the works of other artists in his own, and allowing his works to develop in cooperation with his assistants. He does not always have a concrete plan of his own, and relies sometimes on the ideas of his assistants; it is important to him to encourage their independence also while collaborating with them.

Three of West's assistants are represented in this exhibition: Songül Boyras, Roland Kollnitz, and Peter Höll. The work of these artists is markedly different from West's own ­ something of which he is very proud.
 
 

 
Songül Boyraz: Untitled, 1998. Video, 4 minutes.

Songül Boyras works in video, often using various human emotional states as her point of departure. She frequently starts with a detail, from which she attempts to portray the whole person, to capture emotions by limiting herself to only a detail of the body. Her video of a pair of eyes, seeks to capture the moment when a brief exchange of glances may carry the same meaning as words.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Roland Kollnitz: Dioscuren, 1996.

Roland Kollnitz: "In a spontaneous act, the purely mental need is usually surpassed by the physical. To stretch elegantly for something and then let it drop again in a physical experience may produce a sense of joy, like a dancer in choreography of his own making ­ to set a carousel spinning and go along for a ride."
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Peter Höll: Untitled, 1998.

Peter Höll became fascinated with the recycling containers for glass, found on the streets of Vienna. When you throw a bottle into one of these, you are caught in an act that carries within it an element of aggression. He describes this as a socialized act of vandalism. At the same time, the act implies that the drinking is over and, with it, the fun ­ reminiscent of the Russian custom of throwing the glass over your shoulder when it is empty. The video cameras in his work suggest surveillance cameras and forbidden acts; they therefore challenge this manifestation of the self.
 
 
 
Magnus Jensner