In preparation for the exhibition, I need to focus on this press release from the gallery (see below) and connect the theme of resonance with bringing my panels inside the gallery and my ongoing research and interest.
November 8 - December 21, 2024 Valo Valentino, Marina WitteMann
Resonance. Duo Show
Resonance brings together Valo Valentino and Marina WitteMann, two artists who masterfully blend auditory and visual elements to explore the invisible forces of sound and colour and their profound impact on perception. The works on display are not merely seen; they are felt, heard, and experienced in a way that transcends traditional sensory boundaries.
Valo Valentino employs sonic waves as a painting tool. By harnessing the vibrations of sound, the artist have transformed these unseen frequencies into vivid, dynamic compositions. Each piece captures the moment where sound waves intersect with materials, creating patterns and forms that resonate with both the eye and the ear. His glass sculptures, installation and objects pulsate with the energy of captured sound.
In contrast, Marina WitteMann’s works employ colour to reflect emotional and physical states, using newspapers as a metaphor for media’s influence on our worldviews. By painting with captivating, nearly seductive hues, she creates objects of desire that are irresistible and alluring. Her artworks draw parallels to propaganda, offering easily understood myths that entice and ensnare. Marina’s interactive installation, composed of painted newspaper on a metal grid, underscores the transformative power of the written word. As viewers step inside, they are enveloped in complete silence, feeling the constraints of propaganda that subtly imprisons the mind.
Together, Valo and WitteMann’s works create a symphony of sensory experiences that challenge and expand our understanding of art’s potential to transform. “Resonance” is an invitation to explore the profound connections between sound, colour, and perception, and to experience art that vibrates with unseen, yet deeply felt, forces.
For the Resonance duo show, where both auditory and visual elements are explored, bringing my Temporary Permanence panels into the gallery offers an opportunity to expand on themes of resonance - both in terms of sound and perception, but also through the metaphorical resonance of ideas, histories, and emotions contained within my materials. By placing these panels inside the gallery, the shift in context enhances their meaning and aligns with my ongoing research on media, propaganda, and violence.
The resonance here is not only literal but also conceptual. The panels, initially exposed to environmental forces like wind and rain in the outdoor setting of Baumwollspinnerei, carry the mark of temporality and fragility.
The acts of vandalism - ripped newspapers and almost-destroyed panels - become symbols of violence, not just against the artwork but against the narratives and “truths” that this art holds. In this way, my work engages with resonance as an ongoing reflection on media’s role in shaping perception and the fragility of truth in the face of conflict and propaganda:
· Truth is often "ripped apart" or distorted in times of conflict;
· Media is often more exposed to manipulation and destruction;
· Accessible information is often the first to be attacked;
· Time erases everything, human aggression accelerates this process;
Destruction of the installation by rain
· The scars of war and violence are never fully healed;
· Role of the viewer and the public in either protecting or destroying information - viewers are not passive recipients of information but active participants in shaping or damaging the narratives they encounter
By bringing these panels inside the gallery, their resonance is deepened through contrast - once outside, now sheltered. This act echoes my research on the transient versus the permanent, drawing on ideas of preservation, memory, and the tension between exposure and protection.
The resonance with Valo Valentino's sound-based practice further complements this, as the vibrations of sound can be likened to the visual and emotional ripples created by my newspaper works. Just as sound waves can leave invisible imprints, my Temporary Permanence panels reflect the invisible yet powerful impact of propaganda, media, and societal violence on the individual and collective consciousness.
In the gallery, these panels serve as a visual metaphor for how ideas and perceptions are shaped, distorted, or even destroyed by external forces. Their resonance is not just heard or seen but felt viscerally. It is an attempt to understand how unseen forces (whether sound, colour, or ideas) shape our understanding of the world.
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