Ingo Niermann
Encyclopedia
Ingo Niermann is a German novelist
, writer, and artist.
. He has also conducted interviews for German literary magazine Der Freund
and contributed a series of interviews labelled Die Beste aller Welten [~ “The best of all worlds imaginable”] to the German art magazine Monopol.
In 1999, Niermann first contributed a short story (10 000 Jahre [10,000 years]) to the anthology “Mesopotamia” edited by Swiss writer Christian Kracht
. His debut novel Der Effekt was published in 2001. It were mainly these two publications that established a perceived link with Germany’s 1990s “pop literature” movement.
Niermann successfully veered from this perception with his acclaimed 2003 book Minusvisionen [best translated as “Negative-only visions”; also a neologism in German], published by Suhrkamp. The book revived the literary form of the protocol (German “Protokoll”), drawing on motives of interview and oral history. It chronicles the visions, projects and (economic) failure of several young German entrepreneurs.
In 2006, Umbauland appeared, also at Suhrkamp. It presents ten ideas of Niermann – partly conceived with friends and colleagues – on how Germany could be and should be radically reformed. Suggestion include the construction of a large-scale pyramid as tourist attraction and grave site in Eastern Germany
, nuclear armament, or a radical re-vamping of the German language (“Rededeutsch”).
Late February 2007 saw the publication of Metan [“Methane”, misspelled], the product of teaming up with Christian Kracht
and climbing up Kilimanjaro. The book describes the mysterious power of methane
gas. Another reviewer refers to the book as a parody of "alarmism" and suggested it should be taken as a joke: "But if this book is taken as a joke, it probably is not a bad one.” It has been translated into several languages, such as Latvian and Russian.
Scholarly voices have suggested to read particularly Metan but also Niermann’s other offerings as indication of a camp
take on public and political issues.
As a result of two stays in Beijing
, PR China, Niermann published another chronicle book, China ruft Dich [“China is calling you”] in early 2008. The book records the stories, experiences and perceptions of German and other non-Chinese expatriates who have decided to pursue life in rapidly-changing China of the 00 years. Niermann flanks these reports (or protocols) with Chinese views, for example by renowned artist Ai Weiwei
.
Also in 2008, Niermann’s take on the miscellanea wave, entitled The Curious World of Drugs and co-authored with journalist Adriano Sack was published by Plume (US; UK publisher: Turnaround).
2007 saw the Great Pyramid Monument
project as outlined in Umbauland (see above) gain momentum.
In October 2008, Niermann had his first solo exhibition as an artist entitled JOIN THE U.S. ARMY at ZERN Gallery, Berlin.
Since 2008, Niermann functions as series editor of Solutions (original publications in English), published by Sternberg press and designed by Zak Kyes.
In the series, Niermann himself together with Jens Thiel published Solution 9: The Great Pyramid with contributions by Rem Koolhaas
, Ai Weiwei
, Christian Kracht
, David Woodard and others.
Since 2008, Niermann functions as part of The Choices, an ongoing series conceived by Zak Kyes and Ingo Niermann.
In early 2009, Umbauland in English as well as the Book of Scotlands by musician and writer Momus
aka Nick Currie will follow in the series.
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
, writer, and artist.
Biography
Niermann studied philosophy in Berlin, where he is still based and to the eastern part of which he allegedly moved as early as late 1989.Publications
Although mostly known for his book releases (see below), Niermann earlier contributed to German newspapers Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine ZeitungFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
. He has also conducted interviews for German literary magazine Der Freund
Der Freund
Der Freund was a literary magazine published by Axel Springer AG. It was produced by Christian Kracht and Eckhart Nickel in Kathmandu, Nepal....
and contributed a series of interviews labelled Die Beste aller Welten [~ “The best of all worlds imaginable”] to the German art magazine Monopol.
In 1999, Niermann first contributed a short story (10 000 Jahre [10,000 years]) to the anthology “Mesopotamia” edited by Swiss writer Christian Kracht
Christian Kracht
Christian Kracht is a Swiss novelist and journalist.-Early life:Kracht was born in Saanen. His father, Christian Kracht Sr., was chief representative for the Axel Springer publishing company in the 1960s. Kracht attended Schule Schloss Salem in Baden and Lakefield College School in Ontario, Canada...
. His debut novel Der Effekt was published in 2001. It were mainly these two publications that established a perceived link with Germany’s 1990s “pop literature” movement.
Niermann successfully veered from this perception with his acclaimed 2003 book Minusvisionen [best translated as “Negative-only visions”; also a neologism in German], published by Suhrkamp. The book revived the literary form of the protocol (German “Protokoll”), drawing on motives of interview and oral history. It chronicles the visions, projects and (economic) failure of several young German entrepreneurs.
In 2006, Umbauland appeared, also at Suhrkamp. It presents ten ideas of Niermann – partly conceived with friends and colleagues – on how Germany could be and should be radically reformed. Suggestion include the construction of a large-scale pyramid as tourist attraction and grave site in Eastern Germany
Great Pyramid Monument
The Great Pyramid Monument is a German proposal for a mausoleum, patterned after the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.-Beginnings:The concept of constructing a modern pyramid was originally proposed by German writer Ingo Niermann. He suggested a memorial be erected in the former East Germany, to...
, nuclear armament, or a radical re-vamping of the German language (“Rededeutsch”).
Late February 2007 saw the publication of Metan [“Methane”, misspelled], the product of teaming up with Christian Kracht
Christian Kracht
Christian Kracht is a Swiss novelist and journalist.-Early life:Kracht was born in Saanen. His father, Christian Kracht Sr., was chief representative for the Axel Springer publishing company in the 1960s. Kracht attended Schule Schloss Salem in Baden and Lakefield College School in Ontario, Canada...
and climbing up Kilimanjaro. The book describes the mysterious power of methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
gas. Another reviewer refers to the book as a parody of "alarmism" and suggested it should be taken as a joke: "But if this book is taken as a joke, it probably is not a bad one.” It has been translated into several languages, such as Latvian and Russian.
Scholarly voices have suggested to read particularly Metan but also Niermann’s other offerings as indication of a camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
take on public and political issues.
As a result of two stays in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, PR China, Niermann published another chronicle book, China ruft Dich [“China is calling you”] in early 2008. The book records the stories, experiences and perceptions of German and other non-Chinese expatriates who have decided to pursue life in rapidly-changing China of the 00 years. Niermann flanks these reports (or protocols) with Chinese views, for example by renowned artist Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008...
.
Also in 2008, Niermann’s take on the miscellanea wave, entitled The Curious World of Drugs and co-authored with journalist Adriano Sack was published by Plume (US; UK publisher: Turnaround).
Other Artistic and Editorial Activities
In 2004, Niermann together with artist Antje Majewski curated the exhibition Atomkrieg [“Nuclear War”] at the Kunsthaus Dresden.2007 saw the Great Pyramid Monument
Great Pyramid Monument
The Great Pyramid Monument is a German proposal for a mausoleum, patterned after the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.-Beginnings:The concept of constructing a modern pyramid was originally proposed by German writer Ingo Niermann. He suggested a memorial be erected in the former East Germany, to...
project as outlined in Umbauland (see above) gain momentum.
In October 2008, Niermann had his first solo exhibition as an artist entitled JOIN THE U.S. ARMY at ZERN Gallery, Berlin.
Since 2008, Niermann functions as series editor of Solutions (original publications in English), published by Sternberg press and designed by Zak Kyes.
In the series, Niermann himself together with Jens Thiel published Solution 9: The Great Pyramid with contributions by Rem Koolhaas
Rem Koolhaas
Remment Lucas Koolhaas is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and "Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design" at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, USA. Koolhaas studied at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy in Amsterdam, at the Architectural...
, Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008...
, Christian Kracht
Christian Kracht
Christian Kracht is a Swiss novelist and journalist.-Early life:Kracht was born in Saanen. His father, Christian Kracht Sr., was chief representative for the Axel Springer publishing company in the 1960s. Kracht attended Schule Schloss Salem in Baden and Lakefield College School in Ontario, Canada...
, David Woodard and others.
Since 2008, Niermann functions as part of The Choices, an ongoing series conceived by Zak Kyes and Ingo Niermann.
In early 2009, Umbauland in English as well as the Book of Scotlands by musician and writer Momus
Momus (artist)
Nick Currie , more popularly known under the artist name Momus , is a songwriter, blogger and former journalist for Wired...
aka Nick Currie will follow in the series.
External links
- Official website of Ingo Niermann
- Review of Der Effekt in NZZNeue Zürcher ZeitungThe Neue Zürcher Zeitung is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zurich.One of the oldest newspapers still published, it originally appeared as Zürcher Zeitung, edited by Salomon Gessner, from January 12, 1780, and was renamed to Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821...
, 17 July 2001 - Ingo Niermann on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Review of Minusvisionen in Die ZeitDie ZeitDie Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
, No. 12|2004 - Review of the exhibition „Atomkrieg“ in tazDie tageszeitungdie tageszeitung , was founded in 1978 in Berlin. It is a cooperative-owned German daily newspaper which is administrated by a workers' self-management...
, 22 June 2004 - Review of Umbauland in Die WeltDie WeltDie Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
, 8 Oktober 2006 - ZERN
- JOIN THE U.S. ARMY WITH INGO NIERMANN