was weißt du schon von prärie

Book launch: Daniela Seel & opening of the exhibition „California State Route 152, April 2015“ – photos by Mathilde Bonnefoy

"What do I know about 'prairie', as long as I have never experienced it. Where does my notion of prairie come from, and how does it inform my reality? How does fiction influence my every day life, shaping my thinking, use of language and actions. How are tales of landscapes applied to legitimize power structures and exploitation, the fanning of 'angst', the praise of magnitude and heroism? Which artistic and linguistic strategies are there to counteract that trend?"

These are questions Daniela Seel tried to answer during her stay at Villa Aurora in Los Angeles leading up to her new book of poetry "what do you know of prairie". Also staying at Villa Aurora was editor and director Mathilde Bonnefoy, who was producing a range of photographic works under the title "California State Route 152, May 2015". now on view at the Literary Colloquium. Mathilde Bonnefoy has worked with an array of filmmakers, such as Tom Tykwer and Wim Wenders. In 2014 she edited and coproduced the Oscar-winning documentary "Citizenfour" directed by Laura Poitras. On October 19 Daniela Seel and Mathilde Bonnefoy will talk about their new works and their Californian experience.