Björn Wallbaum
08 Jun - 31 Jul 2012
BJÖRN WALLBAUM
The Black and White Theories
8 June - 31 July 2012
ANDREAS GRIMM MUNCHEN is delighted to announce the first solo exhibition of Björn Wallbaum in our gallery space. Born in 1978 in Freiburg (near Breisgrau) the artist studied at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, where he graduated with diploma in 2011. Björn Wallbaum lives and works in Berlin.
The exhibition consists of two related photographic series that Björn Wallbaum created between 2009 and 2011: The Black and White Theories. Subject of the showcased series White Theories is the modern exhibition space itself, the so-called White Cube. Since the 1920s the concept of a completely reduced exhibition space was established, allowing works of art the greatest possible freedom to develop their full potential undisturbed by décor and architecture. Björn Wallbaum described the White Cube as a pseudo-sacred space, which, in the spirit of Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain”, elevates the exhibited works by their mere exposure to the realm of art. On the one hand Wallbaum’s work is as much concerned with the question of the true nature of art itself as it is with the staging practices employed by artists and curators. In a very postmodernist and self-reflexive manner the artist makes the exhibition space itself the main motive of his photos and thereby creates intriguing abstract architectures of light and shadows. The photographic eye of Wallbaum animates the actual ‘non-space’ of the White Cube, revealing its inherent contradictions:
“And therein lies the deceptive character of the White Cube environment, as it suggests a neutrality and objectivity where there is actually none – the exclusion of external distraction allows the viewer to concentrate on the work of art. But every visitor carries his/her own inner self into the exhibition space, which in the end occupies the vacant space.” (Anna Jill Lüpertz referring to Jonathan Creye’s book “Aufmerksamkeit – Wahrnehmung und moderne Kultur”)
The second exhibited series is part of The Black Theories, which formally is very similar to The White Theories, but instead of focusing on the White Cube the artist turns his gaze towards the Black Box, a darkened room for film and video projections. Wallbaum uses the flashlight of his camera to oppose the light of the projection. The actual film projection is almost completely negated by the harshness of the flashlight and instead emphasizes the room itself. The mysterious darkness of the Black Box gives way to a clear and almost anatomical view of the mechanisms of the video projection. Similar to the White Theories Wallbaum’s photographic interest is neither the art nor the film, but the vacant space as a projection surface for the inner life of the spectator.
Because of its self-referential character Björn Wallbaum’s art has to be understood as some sort of meta-art, as an art about art. Wallbaum grants the viewer a maximum scope for individual contemplation and thereby refers again to the basic idea of the White Cube: The projections of one’s own innermost self onto the outside world.
The Black and White Theories
8 June - 31 July 2012
ANDREAS GRIMM MUNCHEN is delighted to announce the first solo exhibition of Björn Wallbaum in our gallery space. Born in 1978 in Freiburg (near Breisgrau) the artist studied at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, where he graduated with diploma in 2011. Björn Wallbaum lives and works in Berlin.
The exhibition consists of two related photographic series that Björn Wallbaum created between 2009 and 2011: The Black and White Theories. Subject of the showcased series White Theories is the modern exhibition space itself, the so-called White Cube. Since the 1920s the concept of a completely reduced exhibition space was established, allowing works of art the greatest possible freedom to develop their full potential undisturbed by décor and architecture. Björn Wallbaum described the White Cube as a pseudo-sacred space, which, in the spirit of Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain”, elevates the exhibited works by their mere exposure to the realm of art. On the one hand Wallbaum’s work is as much concerned with the question of the true nature of art itself as it is with the staging practices employed by artists and curators. In a very postmodernist and self-reflexive manner the artist makes the exhibition space itself the main motive of his photos and thereby creates intriguing abstract architectures of light and shadows. The photographic eye of Wallbaum animates the actual ‘non-space’ of the White Cube, revealing its inherent contradictions:
“And therein lies the deceptive character of the White Cube environment, as it suggests a neutrality and objectivity where there is actually none – the exclusion of external distraction allows the viewer to concentrate on the work of art. But every visitor carries his/her own inner self into the exhibition space, which in the end occupies the vacant space.” (Anna Jill Lüpertz referring to Jonathan Creye’s book “Aufmerksamkeit – Wahrnehmung und moderne Kultur”)
The second exhibited series is part of The Black Theories, which formally is very similar to The White Theories, but instead of focusing on the White Cube the artist turns his gaze towards the Black Box, a darkened room for film and video projections. Wallbaum uses the flashlight of his camera to oppose the light of the projection. The actual film projection is almost completely negated by the harshness of the flashlight and instead emphasizes the room itself. The mysterious darkness of the Black Box gives way to a clear and almost anatomical view of the mechanisms of the video projection. Similar to the White Theories Wallbaum’s photographic interest is neither the art nor the film, but the vacant space as a projection surface for the inner life of the spectator.
Because of its self-referential character Björn Wallbaum’s art has to be understood as some sort of meta-art, as an art about art. Wallbaum grants the viewer a maximum scope for individual contemplation and thereby refers again to the basic idea of the White Cube: The projections of one’s own innermost self onto the outside world.