Academic final project at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

Materials: Textiles, 2 Aputure C300D, 2 Aputure Light Dome Mini Diffusers, Aputure Nova P300c Panel, 3 Tripods, Glasses, Cocktail Shaker, Bar with bar furnishings, Dining table with 4 chairs, Samovar, Small pot, Vase, Newspaper stand, Toaster, 5 Mannequins, Window film, 30 laser-cut stars made of fabric, 6 Book editions, Suitcase

Size: Variable

The exhibition experience begins as soon as visitors enter Room 221. Here, past, future, and present merge into a single experiential space. In the center of the room, in front of the windows, stands a bar aptly named die sogenannte Gegenwart (Engl. the so-called present), where five characters from different eras gather. These figures, represented by clothed mannequins, share their worldviews with the guests through Diaries of Evil Deeds, which are laid out both on the bar and on a table in the corner—referred to as the socialist corner.

As visitors explore the room, they are accompanied by an unusual lighting mood created by colored studio lights and tinted window films. This illumination bathes the room in unfamiliar colors, making some areas appear sharper, while others seem as if viewed through a veil, lending the atmosphere a dreamlike quality.

the bar, centrally located in the room, is attended by a bartender who serves drinks. This spot offers an oasis of calm within the tour; some guests take the opportunity to relax with a beverage and observe the space. Many are engrossed in reading the diaries, and now and then, laughter can be heard. The aesthetic facade of the installation and the elegantly dressed characters are contrasted by the contents of the diaries, which reveal a deeper, often ambivalent view of the world, breaking through the smooth surface of the present.

Realized with the kind support of the Party.Rent Group and the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf.

Image 1-4 Installation view dispersed non-existence, 2023
Photos by Ivo Faber

© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn