Still Life: Obstinacy of Things, Exhibition, Kunst Haus Wien, Vienna: 13 September 2018-17 February 2019

This near-exhausted and near-extinct genre is getting a revamp in this themed-based exhibition at the Kunst Haus Wien. Instead of nostalgically blowing away the cobwebs from the Still Life genre, the exhibited photographers have re-shaped and re-interpreted this art form as a means of expression. They have put their own alternative stamp on this historical practice by marrying the history of painting with the history of contemporary photography. One such piece is Harun Farocki’s ‘Stilleben’ (1997), which juxtaposes the functions of traditional Still Life with current commercial photography of merchandise.

The objects, acting as muses, have remained true to their Still Life roots, by retaining their contemporary relevance. Traditionially the objects embodied trading relations, but have morphed into the exotic goods of the global consumer market of today. Some of the artists comment on such matters, by selecting objects that leave a trail of breadcrumbs back to such topics. Others, have picked stand-alone artefacts that refer only to themselves. But what they all have in common is that they are daringly open to interpretation. As a result, the photographers are taking a stance against the absoluteness of the image, and by extension the absoluteness of information.  

During this time of upheaval in our image culture, where photos are replacing language as a means of communication, and digital images are keeping up with our fast-paced lives,  Still Life causes us to stop and be ‘still’ by arresting our gaze and holding it captive in its slower time-zone. This pause endows Still Life with a gravitas and presence that a fleeting digital image can’t master. The gallery hopes that you will see beyond the surface objects of the photos and zoom in on the space: the space of the objects, the space of the images, and the space of photography itself.

Kunst Haus Wien:

Untere Weißgerberstraße 13, 1030 Wien