Mitschüler*in: eine erwachsene Künstlerin kehrt in die Vorschule zurück [Classmate: an adult artist returns to preschool]
Artist book
2025
Haus der Kunst Munich commissioned Neha Choksi’s new artist book Mitschüler*in and its installation in a classroom setting as part of the group exhibition For Children. Art Stories since 1968 on view July 18, 2025 through February 1, 2026.
The artist book Mitschüler*in is based on a lived performance, Elementary, for which Neha Choksi attended a public school as a kindergarten student for the academic year 2018-2019.
“The book features drawings, notes and short stories collected by the artist during Elementary (2018-19), a year-long lived performance in which the artist attended a kindergarten of the Los Angeles Unified School District as an adult student. Since 2018, Elementary has evolved into an extensive body of work, giving rise to different projects such as performances and installations that reflect on the artist's school experience and explore themes of relationships and emotions, hierarchies and enculturation within the educational setting…The (new book) work engages all ages with short fill-in-the-blank stories that offer insights into her daily life at kindergarten: the interactions with classmates and the teachers, the need for belonging, the experiences of failure, acceptance, frustration and joy.”
—Lydia Korndörfer, Haus der Kunst Munich curatorial wall text
Design: HR Hegnauer Design Studio
Translation and copy editing: Lydia Korndörfer
Printer: LONGO AG, Bozen
Edition: 5000
All contents © Neha Choksi, with the exception of three drawings which were gifted to Choksi by classmates.
Commissioned by Haus der Kunst München, 2025, for the exhibition For Children. Art Stories since 1968.
