"Fashions are ultra-short time religions, that is, strong but dissoluble bonds." Rapidly changing fashions define the concept of beauty, youth, style, individuality and eroticism, but do they also define trends? "Fashions are not trends", insists Norbert Bolz, and he continues "trend followers believe they have found their formula for living, their own personal formula". But what might initially seem to be a fashion, another fleeting zeitgeist phenomenon, may very well turn out to be an individual formula for living and- as it develops into a mass movement - become a trend, think only of such concepts as wellness, cosmetic surgery and - the very latest trend - lifestyle.

Alicia Framis: anti dog CHANEL

Against this background, the exhibition fuckin' trendy! seeks to illuminate the scintillating concept of lifestyle, in which elements and strategies of art, culture, and fashion, design, market and advertising mingle. The works of Candice Breitz, Daniele Buetti, Lutz Fezer, Sylvie Fleury, Alicia Framis, Yang Fudong, Kirsten Geisler, Swetlana Heger, Josephine Meckseper, Olaf Nicolai choose as their subject the interplay between authenticity, role clichés, and self-portrayal, fashion, designer-label fetishism and politics, star idolatry between trash and glamour. Fashion is understood as a form of role play, which in its varied senses both conceals and reveals the identity of its bearer, and which can be both vane self-portrayal and emancipating liberation.

A presentation of fashion and lifestyle magazines compiled and presented by Elke Haarer will accompany the exhibition. In January a series of events including films, discussion and dance performance is being prepared. Instead of the usual catalogue, a handy pocket guide will be published to accompany the exhibition.

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