Dancing Backwards in Time
What is an image, if not just material, visual information on a
two-dimensional background? Images are, above all, an experience whose content
exceeds the actual sensory stimulus.
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| WIP Ann Schomburg overdone |
Lost in translation,
I wander through time, space, and abstraction. I Travel places, meet people,
and enjoy their company. I capture and get captured, and sometimes I get
something that makes me stumble, slide, and fall. It's all right; it's giving me
new perspectives.
I got an
image from an event that was highly edited. My first thought: Dang boi- If you
give me a list of the changes you made to my body and me and link them to
surgery, that would be quite a promotional stunt- that could work out just
fine!
This approach emphasizes the notion of discovering profound significance beyond the surface level, working together to create an image between my art and the observer. It is an image of the rumor that I convey and the interpretation that you make of it. This is very similar to my previous works, where I used gold to conceal stories and truths beneath the glittering exteriors of the images."The approach I use involves finding deeper meanings behind the surface. It's a collaborative effort between my work and the viewer to create an image. The image represents the rumor I tell and what your mind makes of it. This is similar to my previous works where I covered images with gold to hide stories and truths beneath their shiny facades."
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| Detail: Ann Schomburg Low Budget Romance, shown Gallery Art von Frei. 2015 |
As my counterpart to the realities created on social media at its peak, we now have AI social media influencers.
Perfectly
makes sense- we already had chatbots on dating websites for decades…. emotional
support friends based on AI. Flooded by images and socialized on all social networks, it is lonely when the day is done.
Warnings that
people compete against these beauty standards sometimes make me feel that
instead of this censorship, we should focus more on educating people to come up
with their ideas away from being the best fit into arriving at a more self-conscious
attitude. I also wonder how many people desperately teach self-love to stop
hating themselves. How many people do you have to save until you forgive
yourself for being you?
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| Ann Schomburg Overdone, 2023 30x30cm |
When everyday
life started to be locked away in isolation, I started a process of
deconstructing images—taking the
visual surface and bringing it back to its code to create a new surface.
With this
method, I translate images into a series of numbers and letters, essentially
encoding the visual information into a textual format. This text directly
represents the image in code and is repeatedly overlaid onto the original
image. As I layer this coded text over the image, the visuals gradually become concealed, transforming into
an abstract composition.
This artistic process behind this repetitive and meditational gesture is my reflection
on the digital age we live in, where information is often encoded, and the true
essence of things can be hidden behind layers of data. The final abstract
images represent how original meanings or appearances can be transformed and lost
in digital translation. It's my
commentary on the intersection of technology and art, showing how the
digital world can reveal and conceal realities.
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| Ann Schoburg Portrait: Haus der Statistik A |
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Ann Schoburg Portrait: Haus der Statistik A |
In 2020, my network, Saloon, organized a printing exhibit concerning "action printing" in collaboration with the gold Rausch program at Haus der Statistik. A remarkable place:
The Haus der Statistik Project is an innovative and community-oriented redevelopment project in Berlin. Located close to Alexander Platz, the Haus der Statistik has stood empty for over a decade. This model project aims to transform the area into a vibrant mixed-use space that interweaves living and working areas, cultural and social facilities, and administrative offices. The redevelopment of the Haus der Statistik is envisioned as a holistic urban project, combining affordable housing, art, culture, education, and a new town hall for Berlin-Mitte. Acquired by Berlin in 2017, the project is remarkable for its alternative approach to urban development and has garnered international interest for its unique integration of diverse urban functions. I was showing a deconstructed portrait of the place.
