The opening show „Getting Physical“ of the new – and first – video space for contemporary video art in Mannheim presents works by three renowned international artists.
The selected videos highlight different facets of the human body and the way it is perceived. In times of growing virtual networking and internet communication, the actual physical presence becomes marginal. Social networks, smartphone and the likes facilitate the exchange between people, yet the contact face to face grows more and more unnecessary. At the same time, an increasing, excessive cult of body modification is raging. Due to cosmetics, apparel and medicine, the realization of one’s very own ideal of beauty appears tob e within reach. Both sides of the medal? Does our need for a connecting physical anchor grow in a delimited virtual world?
The video works present different aspects of physicality and inter-human communication by mimics and gestures, of physical borders and their overcoming. They inspire thoughts and manifold approaches of interpretations. Furthermore the approaches are not limited to thematical questions, but sensitize for the means of the medium „video“.
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Serbian artist Svetlana Volic’s work „Presence“ condenses characteristic elements of the other videos and expands them with a very personal perspective. The video shows a intimate, introspective study of human longing and vulnerability, spirituality and empathy, the need for touch and communication. Recorded in night shot mode, this video is black and white, too. Yet it opposes the clarity of „Con torso“ with a blurry dizziness, reflecting the protagonist’s mood. Of her, we only see parts – an eye which isn’t watching the viewer, a hand dancing in the dark and playing with feathers and little mirrors.
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(curator Simone Kraft)
http://25bs.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/57/
