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The Installation at the exhibition Parcours für Veränderung (A Course for Change) makes use of Allan Kaprow’s work Words. Participants can and should actively take part in his action art. The Words installation was first presented by Kaprow in 1962 and consists of three parts: flags to be written on, three record players, and blinking light bulbs. Part of Kaprow’s concept was also that he readily released his works of art to be reinvented. The Reinvention of Allan Kaprow’s “Words” translates the work into the current context of the transformation taking place at Volkswagen. The blinking light bulbs have become construction-site lights, the flags have become a large role of paper that can be rolled out and written on both sides with answers to the question: Why does Volkswagen exist? In addition to their own position, participants should always take the opposing position. The question “Why does Volkswagen exist?” therefore also led to reflection on the consequences of internalized positions and attitudes. For the accompanying publication, theses and counter-theses were presented and analyzed in an infographic.

The Parcours for Change is an exhibition, workshop, and mentoring program for Volkswagen executives. The concept: transformation through art. Volkswagen is testing a new form of continuing education with the Parcours. 4,000 executives engage with contemporary art, allow themselves to be challenged by it, and ultimately question themselves and their company: “Who could we be?” To this end, the executives go through a course lasting several hours, in which they engage with works of art by Gregor Schneider, Julius von Bismarck, Tomas Saraceno, Erwin Wurm, and others. Engaging with art is intended to help them reflect on themselves.
VW Group Academy, Wolfsburg.

Idea: VW Group Academy, Ralph Linde
Curatorial Concept: Vorstellungskraft X, Friedrich von Borries und Torsten Fremer Exhibition architecture: Kooperative für Darstellungspolitik
Exhibition graphics: Ingo Offermanns
Production: Klubhaus. Agentur für intelligente Live-Kommunikation, Cynthia Lammich und Romy Brunken
Project lead Volkswagen Akademie: Daniela Galetto
Photos: Max Schwarzmann