Reflections, WUF, Collective Press Showcase, Basel

“Reflections” by Leo Fourdrinier, Nicolas Lamas, Mit Borras, Christian Holze, Huber Huber, Manor Grünewald, Julien Quentel, Erris Huigens, Lolo y Sosaku, Hanna Antonsson Hermes, Léa de Cacqueray, Alice Gong Xiaowen, Emmanuel Van Der Auwera at WUF, Basel, 11/06/2024 – 12/06/2024.

In the multifaceted landscape of contemporary art, the image not only asserts itself as a representation but also as an autonomous entity that communicates, interacts, and sometimes substitutes for the physical artwork. In this exhibition, we explore how digitalization has reshaped our aesthetic approach, offering an overview of how images of artworks, published through magazines and social platforms, shape the perception and artistic experience in the contemporary scene. To probe this metamorphosis, we have chosen to present not the physical artworks, but a photographic selection made by the artist of the artwork itself, thus offering a unique and personal view of the artist’s own creation. This represents a kind of reinterpretation, a highly subjective and intimate vision, filtered through the artist’s viewpoint.

Images of artworks, once confined to catalogs and monographs, often detach from the original work and come to life in the digital realm, interacting with a broader audience in an immediate and pervasive way. This phenomenon raises significant questions about the true enjoyment of art, shifting the focus from the tangible artwork to the perceived image, leading us to wonder if perhaps the image is at the heart of any physical perception of art?

The exhibition is organized into various thematic sections, each focused on exploring a specific aspect: from installation to new experimental trends in sculpture. Our attention is centered on the documentary image and its ability to create new narrative contexts, rediscovering its role as a mediator between the artwork and the audience and revealing its crucial role in defining new trends.

Through this visual and conceptual inquiry, we propose an open dialogue on how the visual culture associated with digital representations of art influences not only our understanding of the artworks but also their very essence, inviting visitors to actively and critically engage in redefining the boundaries between the artwork and its digital reinterpretation.