Christian Jankowski
*1968 in Göttingen
Lehrauftrag
The work Lehrauftrag from 2000 is the result of a cooperation between the artist Christian Jankowski, RWTH Aachen University and the Neuer Aachener Kunstverein. Jankowski conducted longer interviews with the heads of the departments for mechanical engineering, welding technology, mathematics, mining, and art history. He questioned the professors about the relationship between their field of research and art; subsequently, he selected 30 statements which students then transferred to large banners. These were suspended from the facades of the departments’ buildings. The quotes from professors in the guise of a student protest provoked numerous conversations and discussions on the open street. Many passers-by stopped and tried to grasp the texts of the banners that were located between absurdity and political commentary. The response ranged from rejection to irritation to enthusiasm. Lehrauftrag thus created a platform for an open dialogue about the relationship between art and science, but also about the social impact of art.
