Viktoria Binschtok

Transcript

Klemm’s Brunnenstrasse 7 10119 Berlin Tel + 49 . 30 . 4 0 50 49 53 Fax + 49 . 30 . 4 0 50 49 54 [email protected] www.klemms--berlin.com Viktoria Binschtok viktoria binschtok World of Details, 2011, exhibition view Klemm‘s, Berlin Viktoria Binschtok traces in her photographic work the idea of visibility. By deferring the context in interesting ways she raises questions about which contents are transported within clearly defined image borders and which ones – based on our common knowledge – surpass them. Binschtok refers equally to images taken from media sources such as the Internet as well as images taken by herself in order to discuss their function and representation. In her series ‘World of Details/NY’ she connects both image sources by using selected images from the gigantic GoogleStreetView archive in order to assemble her images. Binschtok’s first step is strictly analytical when she filters street views that show by-passers who look into the camera and who are actually aware of being photographed. But in contrast to traditional “picture-taking” there is no person taking the picture. Those depicted look into a lense of an apparatus set on a car roof and that takes fully-automatic panorama shots of its surroundings. These street views cannot be exceeded in authenticity as they were shot without any sense of composition. The second step leads Binschtok physically to the sites chosen by the previous selection process in order to make her own picture of the existing reality on site. While the reference pictures depict the section of the street view with a certain distance, the artist now zooms in and thus contrasts the programmed automat with something very human in the end: intention. In delineating the complexity of ‘World of Details/NY’ Binschtok does not only shed a light on our world but she manages to walk the thin line of photography that goes beyond documentary while relinquishing the means of staging at the same time. (press text Klemm‘s, Berlin) viktoria binschtok World of Details (billiardtable + billiards), 2011, c-print, object frame, 88 x 109 cm; ink jet print on mdf-plate, 18 x 26 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. World of Details (billiardtable + billiards), 2011, ink jet print on mdf-plate, 18 x 26 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok World of Details (cop + golden door), 2011, c-print, object frame with glass, 117,6 x 92,2 cm; ink jet print on mdf-plate, 18 x 28 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. World of Details (cop + golden door), 2011, ink jet print on mdf-plate, 18 x 28 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok World of Details (round corner + crossing), 2012, c-print, object frame 120 x 151 cm; ink jet-print on mdf plate, 18 x 28 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok World of Details (crossing), 2011, ink jet-print on mdf plate, 18 x 28 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok Suspicious Minds, 2009, exhibition view Klemm‘s Viktoria Binschtok traces in her photographic work the idea of visibility. By deferring the When one takes a close look on the press pictures of the mighty of this world, one can actually discover a remarkable parallelism: there is at least one man behind every politician that guards him or her. Especially in times of constant terror threat and enforced security control, this is a more and more common picture. These poker-faced, well-dressed men act inconspicuously in the back. It is striking how much they resemble each other in their attempt to disclose the putative mistake in the system. They are encircled by an aura of absence and at the same time most possible tension and concentration. In ‘Suspicious Minds’ Viktoria Binschtok extracts the respective persons from their original context of a press picture. She selects section, point of view and image formation in a way that their faces look at the viewer in real life-size; yet, it remains unclear where and in which context the picture was taken. Only familiar details from our collective visual memory point to nameable persons or situations. These newly generated pictures examine very precisely the aspect of authenticity in photographic depictions – to which the steady presence of the printing grid refers – and, moreover, enables an unknown proximity to the subjects. The aspect of proximity joins another facet of ‘Suspicious Minds’: by eliciting information from the pictures that may be placed in the image but are only perceived by her intervention, Binschtok raises the question of ‘what can we see in the pictures and what transcends them?’ Binschtok does not reach this transcendence by magnifying the pictures or rather by ‘adding a narration’ to them; their effect rather results from the discovery and astounding visualization of given facts. excerpt from press release KLEMM‘S viktoria binschtok Body 149, 2009, dig. c-print, framed, 163 x 128 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok Body 174, 2009, dig. c-print, framed, 163 x 128 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok Suspicious Minds, 2009, exhibition view Klemm‘s, Berlin Body 116, 2009, dig. c-print, framed, 73 x 53 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok Viktoria Binschtok, Spektakel, 2008, exhibition view Klemm‘s, Berlin In Viktoria Binschtok’s cycle ‘flash’ she has extracted stills from a news video on the Internet that shows that particular moment of an event in the flurry of flashbulbs that is otherwise not perceivable due to the fast sequence of images in a video. Because of the uncontrolled light sources of the flashing cameras the depicted scenery is for a short moment extremely overexposed and therewith virtually erased. What is visible at first is a nebulous mist of light and shadow that only reveals the traces of the ongoing at a closer look: it is the typical gangway of VIPs towards the open back of their limousine. Even if details of the car or a body part are still identifiable the scenery and hencewith the content of the message still remains speculative. In chasing the best shot the message has almost dissolved. (excerpt of press release Klemm‘s) viktoria binschtok flash #4, 2008, light-jet-print, acrylic, 73 x 104 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. flash #6, 2008, light-jet-print, acrylic, 94 x 134 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. viktoria Bintschok Das große Medieninteresse, 2008, triptyche, 3 c-prints, 59 x 248 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. Whether the images had a higher information value if fully lit is of doubt, however.
The mere presence of a ‘mob of photographers’ as catalyst suggests a situation that holds the character of the spectacle: extreme attention in a limited period of time as well as the volatileness and condensation of reality. In 1967, Guy Debord has already examined in ‘La Société du Spectacle’ the effects of this phenomenon on modern society. His deline-ation reaches from the celebration of the surface, the illusory world of the celebrity cult or the superiority of image and surrogate versus real experience. Viktoria Binschtok Three people on the phone #5 /#6, 2007, 11 b/w-silkscreens, each 70 x 100 cm, edition 5+1 a.p. Viktoria Binschtok Three people on the phone #1, 2007, 11 b/w-silkscreens, each 70 x 100 cm, ed. 5+1 a.p. The title – “three people on the phone” – of her current cycle of b/w-silkscreen already discloses the quintessential content. We are observing people who are busy – sometimes fussily, sometimes bored, individually or in a crowd – with texting messages or being on the phone. At first, it seems unspectacular, yet their composure, mimic and gesture reflect the complete kaleidoscope of emotions. Obviously the mobile phone appears to be as much a personal sheet anchor as a necessary connection to the outside world. But the question of how and why these constellations of three have formed remains unanswered between conspiracy theory and mere coincidence. Viktoria Binschtok Die Abwesenheit der Antragsteller, 2006, installation view Seeking and waiting – Viktoria Binschtok scrutinizes with great sensibility but thoroughly these terms that are so ubiquitous in our daily societal disposition. At first she also lined up with the waiting mass at the job center; but then returned in order to convert the traces of wear and tear that an ever increasing, need based community leaves on walls and aisles. As in her previous works, it is Binschtok’s sharp eye for paradoxes and striking symbols of social life that turn this work into another impressive piece of her art. Viktoria Binschtok Wand 2 / Wandvorsprung (from: Die Abwesenheit der Antragssteller), 2006, series of 6 c-prints, acrylic, each 120 x 160 cm, ed. 3+1 a.p. viktoria binschtok Wand 2 / Wandvorsprung (from: Die Abwesenheit der Antragssteller), 2006, series of 6 c-prints, acrylic, each 120 x 160 cm, ed. 3+1 a.p. Viktoria Binschtok Exhibition view, Silver & Gold, Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg, 2004 In her series „LVNY“ (2004) Viktoria Bintschok scrutinizes an urban phenomenon of our times. Stimulated by the observation of the obvious accumulation of a globally established and conjointly connoted luxury article in New York’s street scenery, Binschtok took pictures of the respective article’s owner. Concentrating on a certain display detail, which takes the objects formally into focus as well, reveals the ten- dencies of fetishism within the world of brands as a theme. Although the pictures have the character of a snapshot, they captivate through a baffling precision and acuity, while questioning the images’ authenticity. By raising this question another aspect of this work emerges: which one is the original and which is fake? Viktoria Binschtok LVNY #1, 2004, series of 11 c-prints, each. 70 x 90 cm, ed. 3+1 a.p. 100 % AUTHENTIC LOUIS VUITTON Croissant bag It is a perfect bag for you or your friend. LV bags are defined luxury and perfection, get it and enjoy your life! french_tigergirl Viktoria Binschtok LVNY #4 /#7, 2004, series of 11 c-prints, each 70 x 90 cm, ed. 3+1 a.p. Viktoria Binschtok Exhibition view „Globes“, GFZK Leipzig, 2002 I live in a transgeographical global community. I take photos there. I go shopping there. I prefer globes. „Globes“ deals with visual material of a private background that is freely accessible on the internet. In this digital pool of images, I was looking for pictures that only existed in the world wide web, because their existence mainly is linked to their online availability. Binschtok looked for all images available that where defined by the term „globe“. It offers the complexity of the world‘s mode of appearance. The globe, model of our world, is being photographed within the provider‘s microcosm and afterwards presented in the world wide web. She now took pictures of the collected data directly from the screen. It is only at second glance and due to the low resolution, that the digital origin those images have been derived from and from which they have been transferred into conventional photography, can be seen clearly. Apart from 80 photographs, „Globes“ consists of 25 still locked parcels that have been addressed to me. Inside, there are some of the globes I purchased by auction online. However, I‘m not necessarily interested in the globes as objects, but in the seller‘s identity that is revealed to me in the process of buying. The various-sized packages stand in contrast to the uniform measurements of the photographs, which ignore these differences. viktoria binschtok Globen, 2002, 80 c-prints, each 50 x 40 cm, edition 3+1 a.p. Viktoria Binschtok Biography Exhibitions (selection) 1972 born in Moskau, Russland, lives and works in Berlin 1995 degree program in Art Photography and Media Arts at the Academy of Visual Arts (HGB) Leipzig under Professor Timm Rautert and Professor Helmut Mark 2002 Master in Fine Art 2005 Master student of Professor Timm Rautert 2013 From Here On, Arts Santa Monica, Barcelona, Spain (g) / Papparazzi, Centre Pompidou, Metz, France; Schirn, Frankfurt am Main; Musée d’Elysée, Paris, France (g) 2012 From Here On, FotoMuseum, Antwerp, Belgium (g) / RAY2012, MMK Zollverein, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt am Main (g) 2011 World of Details, KLEMM‘S (s) / one and more chairs, Einraumhaus, Mannheim / Like Strangers in Moscow, Christiner de Mayo, Zürich, Schweiz (g) /From Here On – Les Rencontres d’Arles, Arles, Frankreich (g) / Recent Photography from Leipzig, Zabludowicz Collection, New York, USA (g) / Slippy Floor, Pavlov‘s Dog, Berlin (g) / Leipzig. Fotografie seit 1839, Museum für Bildende Künste, Leipzig (g) 2010 The Disasters of Peace, Umspannwerk Berlin (g) / 10 Jahre Kunstverein Glückstadt, Palais für aktuelle Kunst, Glückstadt (g) / Mit Abstand ganz nah, Opelvillen Rüsselsheim (g) / (Out of) Control, 7th Biennial of Photography, Liège, Belgium (g) 2009 Suspicious Minds, KLEMM‘S (s) / exhibition of the laureates of the art award by Lotto Brandenburg (Literatur Fotografie 2009), Nikolaisaal, Potsdam (s) / Pete and Repeat, project space 176/Zabludowicz Collection, London, Great Britain (g) / Reduction & Suspense, Kunstverein Bregenz, Austria (g) / F/STOP, 3. Internationales Festival der Fotografie Leipzig (g) /Close the gap, Städtische Galerie und Kunstverein Speyer; Pfaffenhofer Kunstverein (g) / Plat(t)form, Museum Winterthur (g) / Mit Abstand – ganz nah, Museum der Stadt Ratingen, Kunstmuseum Cottbus (g) 2008 Close the gap #3, UBS Ermatingen and Zurich, Switzerland (g) / Close the gap, Stadtgalerie Kiel (g) / Mit Abstand – ganz nah, Kunstsammlungen der Städtischen Museen Zwickau, Museum der Stadt Ratingen, Kunstmuseum Cottbus (g) / The Leipzig Phenomena, Mucsarnok kunsthalle, Budapest, Hungary (g) / Spektakel, KLEMM‘S, Berlin (s) 2007 Wir haben keine Probleme, bergen kunsthall, Bergen Norwegen (g) / One bear, one elephant, and three people on the phone, AMERIKA, Berlin / ICH LIEBE DICH, André Schlechtriem Gallery, New York (g) 2006 New Photography from Leipzig, archeus, London (g) / ultra sense, Seoul International Photography Festival, Korea (g) / Photo-Trafic, bac, Genf (g) / Goldene Ruinen, AMERIKA, Berlin (s) 2005 we love amerika, Galerie Jan Winkelmann, Berlin (g) / A1, AMERIKA, Berlin (g)/ Trompe l‘oeil (with Adrian Sauer), Goethe Institut Paris (s)/ stars and stripes, HGB Leipzig (g) 2004 just good news for people who love bad news, Galerie Eigen+Art Leipzig (s) / Silver & Gold, Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg (g) Scholarships and awards 2011 Casa Baldi stipend of the German Academy Rome/Villa Massimo 2009 photography art award by Lotto Brandenburg (Literatur Fotografie 2009) 2008 young talents promotion in Fine Arts by the Kulturstiftung NRW MONTBLANC Young Artist World Patronage 2004 three month DAAD scholarship in Tokyo 2003 six month studio scholarship from the ISCP (international studio and curatorial program) in New York, sponsored by the Kulturstiftung of the Free State of Saxony 2002-05 scholarship from the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Publications 2009 Suspicious Minds, KLEMM‘S, Berlin