Isabelle Wenzel, Field 1, 2015, from the series “Field Studies” 2014/2015 © Isabelle Wenzel
Laís Pontes, Stacy from the series “Born Now Here” © Laís Pontes
EXTREME. SELF
Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie and Kunstforum TU Darmstadt
26 May — 19 August 2018
In the exhibition EXTREME. SELF, three artists focus on personal as well as imaginative ideas of the perception of self. Aneta Grzeszykowska dissects the process of the self-portrayal. Laís Pontes questions how public perception influences the perception of self by creating imaginary characters together with facebook users and bringing them to fictitious life. Isabelle Wenzel uses the self in her artistic works physically: she stages herself as a sculpture in a room.
The only thing that “Selfie” by Aneta Grzeszykowska has in common with a cell phone selfie is the name. She created a portrait of herself comprised of many different individual components, then mixed physicality, sensuality and autoeroticism with black humor. Precisely formed body parts are combined and staged as if in a scientific collection and photographed. Through the use of pigskin, these body parts appear on closer examination to be remarkably realistic. This seems disturbing and fascinating at the same time.
Laís Pontes followed an entirely different approach. She questions the aspect of the creation of identity and utilizes social media to do so. She photographed herself for “Born nowhere” in different roles and uploaded these images to a Facebook page for an open discussion. Every portrait online was given a background composed of the collected comments by other Facebook users. On that basis, four characters in “Born Now Here” were further developed by entrusting selected Facebook members with these characters as alter egos.
The works by Isabelle Wenzel are completely rooted in the real world. Her photographs are the result of an acrobatic performance in front of the camera. She positions herself in unusual, seemingly impossible positions in strange, yet unspectacular places. In the image, created with a self-timer, her body becomes a sculpture in the room, her own personality recedes into the background and her face remains hidden. She especially created new images for the exhibition in Darmstadt for the “Field Studies”, that will be shown for the first time.
The exhibition EXTREME. SELF within the framework of RAY 2018 is a cooperation between the Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie and the Kunstforum der TU Darmstadt. More information: www.ray2018.de
The exhibition EXTREME. SELF / RAY 2018 is supported by:
Opening hours:
Wed—Sun: 1pm—6pm
Venue:Kunstforum derTU DarmstadtHochschulstr. 164289 Darmstadt
Public guided tours
always at 6 p.m.
Thu. 7 June
Wed. 20 June
Sun. 8 July
Thu. 9 August
Sun. 19 August 2018, 5 p.m.
Finissage
More information:ray2018.de
tu-darmstadt.de/kunstforum
EXTREMERAY 2018 Fotografieprojekte Frankfurt/RheinMain
The international Triennial RAY Fotografieprojekte Frankfurt/RheinMain was founded in 2010 on the initiative of the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain in order to bring together and highlight the competence and diversity of photographic art in Frankfurt and the Rhine/Main region.
Since its first edition RAY 2012 the unique collaboration features and produces international examples of contemporary photography and related media every three- years.
The international photography Triennial RAY Fotografieprojekte Frankfurt/RheinMain returns between 24 May and 9 September 2018 to present outstanding contemporary photography and related media at over ten venues in Frankfurt and the region. For the first time, RAY will open with a Festival Kick-off: From 24 to 27 May photography fans, international experts of the medium as well as artists are invited to Frankfurt to explore the medium of photography and topics surrounding the RAY 2018 theme EXTREME. With over fifteen partners and a variety of public events RAY 2018 once again offers a summer of intriguing photographic highlights.
RAY EXTREME presents exhibitions in the following institutions: Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie andKunstforum of TU Darmstadt; Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in The Cube (Eschborn); Fotografie Forum Frankfurt; Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, and MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main.