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Issue 108 August / September 2022

THE ART & CULTURE MAGAZINE

ILLUSORY TECHNOLOGIES

LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY

BOLD SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Photographs that conceal identities and play with a sense of perception

The world’s leading NFT artists push the boundaries of digital animation

Alec Soth offers tender depictions of a shifting American landscape

A series of radical self-portraits subverts tradition and global commercialisation

UK £6.95 Europe €12.95 USA $16.49

AMBIGUOUS COMPOSITION

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Welcome Editor’s Note

On the Cover Tekla Evelina Severin is a Stockholmbased colourist and photographer. She is known for seeking, and finding, lines, shapes and colours within her surroundings. Figures stand in carefully curated mises-en-scène where every element is tightly coordinated: clothing, backdrops, accessories, objects (p. 90).

Cover Image: Photographer: Tekla Evelina Severin. Model: Sarah Baker for Bright volumes, (2016).

Aesthetica is approaching 20 years old. It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed. I was recently asked how I’ve continued for so long. It’s easy. I love the fact that we can innovate, pivot and push ourselves in new directions all the time. This is a place where ideas are born. The magazine is a way for readers to convene, imagine and make sense of the present moment, at this critical juncture in history. Art has the power to unite. It is transformative. It takes us to new places, and introduces us to new cultures, but most importantly, it reminds us of our humanity. Much of this issue is about ever-changing landscapes: in both physical and virtual realms. It’s surprising that when this publication started the internet was dial-up. I remember making my very first Amazon purchase, racked with trepidation. Now we are in a world where NFTs are commonplace and the metaverse is real. The dichotomy of both the real and the imagined is intense, but it's exciting at the same time. Somewhere Ethereal opens in Stockholm and showcases six of the world’s top NFT artists in a gallery exhibition. It’s so intriguing that, as humans, we always want to return to physical spaces – and the notion of “analogue” is never too far away. Next, we foreground Alec Soth, a photographer that has become synonymous with the American landscape. His images unite people and places, focusing on commonalities rather than difference. In photography, we experiment with form, function and intervention, from curious still lifes to gripping environmental imagery. We feature Gjert Rognli, Erik Johansson, Alexander Grombach, Maciek Jasik and Borja Alegre. Our cover photographer, Tekla Severin, demonstrates a palpable understanding of colour. Finally, we speak with Emeric Lhuisset about a powerful series of portraits he shot in Ukraine in March 2022, depicting citizens turned resistance soldiers. For this project, on at Musée des beaux-arts du Locle, he conceals the sitters' faces, waiting to reveal their identities when the country regains sovereignty. Cherie Federico

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contents

Art 16 News This season we cover a major retrospective of Joel Meyerowitz at Huxley-Parlour, London, alongside key exhibitions in Nottingham, Berlin and LA.

26 10 to See These exhibitions ask questions about the fabric of our world, from the role of the portrait to the interactive design of smartphone applications.

30 Looking to Nature Gjert Rognli's What Nature Knows is a journey into dense forests and across misty waterways, where surreal phenomena guide the viewer forwards.

42 Bold Social Commentary Cape Town-based artist Tony Gum pushes the boundaries of selfie culture, exploring tradition and heritage as well as mass-commercialisation.

48 Stepping into Dreams In Erik Johansson's surreal compositions, figures jump off from ledges with only a single balloon in hand; escalators emerge from forest floors.

62 Formal Symmetry Alexander Grombach's images document patterns in urban and cultivated landscapes, concentrating on symmetry and the tenets of visual harmony.

72 Ambiguous Composition Elina Brotherus' self-portraits are playful, poised and open to interpretation, surveying the image of the Rückenfigur – a figure seen from the back.

78 Digital Playgrounds The idea of interplanetary travel continues to make headlines. Borja Alegre’s three-dimensional renders encourage us to imagine other worlds.

90 Dynamic Arrangement Tekla Severin is known for seeking, and finding, complementary colours within her surroundings, offering carefully curated mises-en-scène.

102 Illusory Technologies Six of the world's most revered NFT artists come together in a physical exhibition, showcasing the best in digital renders and built environments.

108 Dramatic Alterations Maciek Jasik’s series, The World With Us, overlays hyper-real colour palettes onto rock formations, splicing, blurring and modifying the geography.

118 Layers of Complexity Alec Soth has become synonymous with the American landscape, traversing and capturing its diverse geography for over two decades.

124 Exhibitions We review Tracey Emin at Jupiter Artland, as well as Radical Landscapes at Tate Liverpool, and a digital showcase at Nxt Museum, Amsterdam.

129 Film Larry Achiampong's Wayfinder comes to cinemas throughout the UK. Martin Bourboulon's romantic biopic Eiffel stars Sex Education's Emma Mackey.

131 Music O-SHiN's debut album II / ∞ (Second of Infinity) is a captivating experimental electro-pop record. Hot Chip and Pisco Crane offer new releases.

Books

Artists’ Directory

Last Words

133 The Latest Publications D'Angelo Lovell Williams’ monograph expands narratives of Black and queer intimacy. Phaidon publishes a landmark survey of Ugo Rondinone.

138 This Issue's Practitioners Our featured artists consider the world through new perspectives: from the personal to the global, the traditional to the hyper-technological.

146 Emeric Lhuisset The artist shares insight into 100 portraits taken in Ukraine back in March 2022, a series now on display at Musée des beaux-arts du Locle.

Aesthetica Magazine is trade marked worldwide. © Aesthetica Magazine Ltd 2022.

The Aesthetica Team: Editor: Cherie Federico Content Creator: Eleanor Sutherland Content Writer: Saffron Ward Digital Assistant: Laura Kirkwood

Advertisement Enquiries: Megan Hobson (0044) (0)844 568 2001 advertising@aestheticamagazine.com

Reviews

ISSN 1743-2715. All work is copyrighted to the author or artist. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without permission from the publisher. Published by Cherie Federico and Dale Donley. Aesthetica Magazine 21 New Street York, YO1 8RA, UK Newstrade Distribution: Warners Group Publications plc. Gallery & Specialist Distribution: Central Books. Printed by Warners Midlands plc.

Advertising Coordinator: Megan Hobson Artists’ Directory Manager: Katherine Smira

Artists’ Directory Enquiries: Katherine Smira directory@aestheticamagazine.com

Production Director: Dale Donley Operations Manager: Helen Osbond Designer: Matt Glasby Technical Coordinator: Matthew Millard Administration: Danae Wellington

Subscriptions: subscriptions@aestheticamagazine.com

Contributors: Rachel Segal Hamilton Duncan Ballantyne-Way Kate Simpson

Press Releases: pr@aestheticamagazine.com

Reviewers: Kyle Bryony, Marthe Lisson, Matt Swain, James Mottram, Monica de Vidi, Greg Thomas, Leyla Sanai, Eleanor Sutherland, Chris Webb, Alexander Stubbs, Julia Johnson, Alice Godwin, Saffron Ward

General Enquiries: info@aestheticamagazine.com

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Ellen Kooi, Apeldoorn – Leemkuil, 2022, Hahnemüller archival print on dibond, from the Berg en Bos series, commissioned by CODA and made possible by the Mondriaan Fund.

Engaging with Nature INSIDE THE OUTSIDE CODA Museum, Apeldoorn | Until 25 September coda-apeldoorn.nl

In the first half of the 19th century, much of western culture was witnessing the birth of photography. This was shaped by the currents of Romanticism. Painters, writers and musicians were reacting to the accelerating effects of the Industrial Revolution, seeking inspiration through a profound engagement with nature. Through art, they sought the experience of authentic emotion. It’s easy to see parallels with today’s generation of creative practitioners, coming of age amidst the climate emergency. Many emerging artists focus on our relationship with other living creatures, as well as our role within ecosystems and notions of “care.” Inside the Outside unpacks these connections. The early Dutch photographer Richard Tepe (1864-1952) acts as a starting point. Black and white vintage prints – taken from the museum’s collection – are displayed in conjunction with 15 other contemporary artists, who each demonstrate an interest in the organic world and its synergy with humanity. In Jacquie Maria Wessels’ (b. 1959) Memory Master Tree Installation (2021), six large-scale images of trees, shot on 35mm film, are printed on silk material and animated with breeze from fans. The artwork reflects on how memories can be held within trunks and roots, whilst also acknowledging the fragility and transience of remembering. An image by Ellen Kooi (b. 1962) depicts a young woman surrounded by autumn trees. Illuminated copper leaves echo the strands of her auburn hair, in the process pointing to the affinities we hold with the world around us. Inside the Outside proposes a new kind of Romanticism, built for the 21st century.

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Exploring the Metropolis L.A. CROSSING Galerie Springer Berlin | Until 27 August galeriespringer.de

Street photography isn’t really about streets – they are just the stage. Looking through images from the genre’s godfather, Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) to contemporary practitioners such as Martin Parr (b. 1952) and Clarissa Bonet (b. 1986), the images are about people. Jens Liebchen (b. 1970), however, doesn’t make street photography; he makes road photography – the difference being that the people become entirely incidental. These pictures, now on show at Galerie Springer, Berlin, reveal America as it is experienced by many of its citizens – through the windows of a car. Indeed, there are roads in Los Angeles that don’t have pavements at all. Berlin-based Liebchen has been documenting this since 2010 in the series L.A. Crossing, which is displayed in a double bill with Peter Klare’s (b. 1969) Collages. Liebchen describes the process as “drive-by photography” – capturing the city’s vast highways and boulevards as he moves through them at pace. The scenes are at once mundane and evocative, reflecting on the car as a mobile but private space, tapping into the fantasy of freedom offered by individual vehicles, whilst simultaneously conveying a sense of alienation that low density living and subrbanisation creates within societies. Looking at Stephen Shore’s (b. 1947) image Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue (1975), an undeniable source of inspiration for Liebchen's series, it’s surprising how little has changed – and yet with the climate crisis looming, in years to come, the transport infrastructure that shapes the American way of life may be completely reimagined, along with images like this.

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Jens Liebchen, Untitled from: L.A. Crossing, 2010-2022 Central Avenue / 4th Street. Archival Pigment Print, framed. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Springer Berlin© Jens Liebchen.

Julius Shulman, Stahl Residence (Case Study House #22), Los Angeles, 1960, ® The Estate of Julius Shulman, courtesy TASCHEN.

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Staging our Reality HOLLYWOOD Helmut Newton Foundation, Berlin | Until 20 November helmut-newton-foundation.org

As Sylvia – the heroine of Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita steps off the plane in Rome – she is met by a horde of press photographers, eager to get a shot. That scene is indicative of the way cinema and photography have always been linked in a mutually inspiring, if at times ambivalent, relationship. They share similar technologies, a common visual language of closeup portraits and wide-open landscapes. However, whilst lights and cameras are intrinsic to both, action is what differentiates them. Photography freezes time, whilst film sets it in motion. A group show at the Helmut Newton Photography Foundation in Berlin explores the way that photographers have portrayed Hollywood. The exhibition takes its cue from Helmut Newton’s (1920-2004) images from the 1960s and 1970s, influenced by the French Nouvelle Vague and of the films of Alfred Hitchcock, as well as portraits of stars attending Cannes Film Festival. Hollywood features pictures by 13 further imagemakers, providing a multifaceted view of the movies at large. There are on-set shots by Eve Arnold (1912-2012), street scenes in Melrose Avenue by June Newton aka Alice Springs (1923-1921), Annie Leibovitz's (b. 1949) sleek Vanity Fair-commissioned portraits and Julius Schulman’s (1910-2009) shots of glittering Beverly Hills mansions. The show, as a whole, considers a shift in cultural perspective: The Foundation's Director, Dr. Matthias Harder, notes: “On the one hand, the exhibition looks back upon 100 years of Hollywood. At the same time, its perspective is utterly contemporary, paying homage to the slowly fading splendour of an entire era.”

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Colour Photography BETWEEN THE DOG AND THE WOLF Huxley-Parlour, London | Until 12 August huxleyparlour.com

“Twilight” could be the name of an Instagram filter. You can just picture it – shades of dusty pink giving any shot the ethereal magic of a pre-dusk evening, no matter where you are in the world. Decades before Instagram was a twinkle in the idea of a smartphone, Joel Meyerowitz (b. 1938) developed a penchant for this mesmerising, otherworldly palette. It was the 1970s and colour photography was in its infancy, seen by many as somehow less serious than monochrome. However, this didn't apply to Meyerowitz who, along with William Eggleston (b. 1939) and Stephen Shore (b. 1947), was one of colour’s early pioneers. This solo show takes its title from the French idiom “entre chien et loup”, (literally “between the dog and the wolf”) which refers to the time of day between sunset and nightfall. The artist notes: “It seemed to me that the French liken the twilight to the notion of the tame and the savage, the known and the unknown, where that special moment of the fading of the light offers us an entrance into the place where our senses might fail us slightly, making us vulnerable to the vagaries of our imagination.” Some of the images on display have been taken from a monograph of the same name; others shot during the same period are markedly different in tone to Meyerowitz’s dynamic 35mm New York street photography. Made in Florida and using long exposures on a cumbersome large-format camera, these scenes – of swimming pools, houses and cars, and few people – have a sense of life slowed down. They reveal a true mastery of hue that phone apps, no matter how well designed, can only ever imitate.

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Joel Meyerowitz, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1977. Courtesy: Image courtesy Huxley-Parlour, and Howard Greenberg. Copyright: Joel Meyerowitz.

Experian Data Centre – Sheppard Robson (2003) Photo ©Martine Hamilton Knight.

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Looking at Structures PEVSNER ON CAMERA Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham | Until 28 August lakesidearts.org.uk

Today, we can simply log onto Google Earth and, with a few clicks, look at any edifice anywhere in the world. Whilst this is completely commonplace in 2022 – it is, still, a radically new technological development. Luckily, in the 20th century, Sir Nikolaus Pevsner (1902-1983) – a professor of art history, who arrived in Britain as a refugee in the 1930s – was on hand. Between 1951 and 1974, Penguin published Buildings of England, Pevsner’s exhaustively researched 46-volume survey of the architecture, documenting virtually every county in the nation. The Nottingham guidebook has since been updated, most recently in 2020, when it was republished by Yale University Press. This version commissioned photographer Martine Hamilton Knight, who lives locally and lectures at Nottingham Trent University, to follow in Pevsner’s footsteps, shooting new images. Now more than 90 of these are on display at Lakeside Arts, featuring some of the city’s most familiar landmarks such as Nottingham Castle, Papplewick Pumping Station, the CZWGdesigned Maggie’s Centre at Nottingham City Hospital and the two universities, in addition to civic structures. Hamilton Knight says she found herself absorbing “the Pevsner way of seeing.” Whilst her pictures normally show buildings in use, this time Hamilton Knight deliberately eschewed scenes with humans, signage or cars in the frame, which might fix the shots within a particular historical period. The result is a visual chronicle that retains a certain purity of form, allowing remarkable buildings the visual space to “speak” for themselves through the images.

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10 to See RECOMMENDED EXHIBITIONS THIS SEASON

This list of stellar shows for August and September ask questions about the very fabric of our world. Who created the emojis and symbols that define modes of communication today? What is the difference between looking and seeing? How far do we idealise our surroundings?

The Portrait The Ravestijn Gallery, Amsterdam | Until 27 August

theravestijngallery.com In 1839, photography was born. It offered a kind of technology that could perfectly replicate a person’s likeness – faster and with greater accuracy than with paint or stone. A camera was, in essence, a kind of portrait machine. However, in the years since its inception, photographic portraiture has moved in imaginative, unanticipated directions – becoming as subjective as other art forms. This timely exhibition delves into the development of portraiture, with pictures by Blommers & Schumm (b. 1969), Michael Bailey-Gates (b. 1993) amongst others.

Vivian Maier: Anthology MK Gallery, Milton Keynes | Until 25 September

mkgallery.org When the work of Vivian Maier (1926-2009) was discovered, it fired up the public imagination. A career nanny, uninterested in fame, she spent 40 years chronicling the street scenes in New York and Chicago in hundreds of thousands of photographs, which only saw the light of day when auctioned in 2007. One hundred and forty of them are on show here – shots of children at play, commuters, lovers embracing – capturing the whole kaleidoscope of urban life. A must-see show that demonstrates photography as a tool for empathy, curiosity and wonder.

Sebastião Salgado Robert Klein Gallery, Boston | Until 28 August

robertkleingallery.com The world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, stretches across northern Brazil into Colombia. Its canopy is a vital organ for the Earth, taking in CO2 and breathing out oxygen. Though common knowledge, the area is still under huge threats from intense deforestation efforts, with more than 150 acres cut down every minute of every day. This is one of the places Sebastião Salgado (b. 1944) has documented in his epic, almost Biblical monochrome aesthetic. This exhibition presents his most powerful photographs, which date back to 1973.

Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design

MoMA, New York | Opens 10 September

moma.org Today, we are so immersed in the digital sphere that we barely notice the transition between “real” and “virtual” realms. And yet, apps which shape how we work and live, like Zoom, WhatsApp and FaceTime, are interfaces that have been imagined into existence by teams of coders. This exhibition celebrates examples of interactive design that we use everyday, but barely pause to think, about such as the "@" symbol or games like Tetris or Pac-Man. MoMA reminds us that the digital age didn't just miraculously emerge: it was created intentionally.

Personal Structures Palazzo Mora, Bembo & Marinaressa Gardens, Venice | Until 27 November

personalstructures.com Art reveals, and comments on, the intricacies of our world, holding a mirror up to society and its communities. “Reflections” – the theme of this multidisciplinary group exhibition – “embodies the dual meaning of, on the one hand, a visible episode perceived by the eyes; and, on the other, a mental deed stemming from the action of thinking and pondering with the mind”, explains the curatorial team. Now in its sixth edition, the show runs during the 2022 Venice Biennale and features 200 international artists displayed across three central venues.

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Nina Röder

Cité de l'image, Clervaux | Until 23 September

clervauximage.lu/en A Surrealist trope, which continues to reverberate within contemporary photography, is the obscured face. René Magritte (1898-1967) most famously used an apple in The Son of Man (1964), as well as textiles and birds' wings – both items which crop up in the portraiture of Nina Röder (b. 1983). The Berlin-based artist’s work subverts the viewer’s expectations of looking and seeing. As A. Meyer writes in a text accompanying the exhibition: “The difference between the object and the subject, between a ‘thing’ and a living organism, seems abolished.”

Reclaim the Earth Palais de Tokyo, Paris | Until 4 September

palaisdetokyo.com To survive the climate emergency, we must make radical changes, not only in how we live, but how we think and speak to one another. This show takes its cue from the words of Australian sociologist Ariel Salleh: “Bringing ecology, feminism, socialism and Indigenous politics together means giving up the Eurocentric lens for a genuinely global one.” Works by 14 artists explore the destructive relationship between people and landscapes, reimagining our place in a decolonised landscape, moving from extraction and empire to harmonious balance.

Christoph Sillem: Daguerre

Image and Space

Galerie Peter Sillem, Frankfurt | Until 20 August

galerie-peter-sillem.com Christoph Sillem (b. 1965) focuses on the tarps that shroud Parisian heritage buildings whilst they are undergoing restoration work. The title references photographic pioneer LouisJacques-Mandé Daguerre, who invented the diorama, a proto-cinematic technique in which moving images are produced using paintings and light. Sillem’s pictures are copies of copies but they are illusions that reveal their workings – showing glimpses of the structure behind. They evoke the reality of urban planning as well as the romanticisation of the French capital.

Museum für Fotografie, Berlin | Until 28 August

smb.museum Since the 1980s, German photographer Candida Höfer (b. 1944) has specialised in technically impeccable large-format interiors – museums, restaurants, universities, zoos or theatres. The interesting perspectives and absence of human activity allows us to see the pure architectural language of these locations. Here, her images are juxtaposed with those drawn from the collection of the Kunstbibliothek, Berlin – such as Helga Paris' (b. 1938) street scenes by Willy Römer (1887-1979) – shining a light on alternative approaches to space.

Black Venus Fotografiska New York | Until 21 August

fotografiska.com/nyc This ambitious exhibition explores representations of Black women in visual culture. By displaying works made between 1942 and 1997, from 17 international artists including Deana Lawson (b. 1979) and Zanele Muholi (b. 1972) alongside archival depictions dating back to 1793, curator Aindrea Emelife provides visitors with a vital historical context. Audiences are invited to be educated on the foundations of fetishised and racist portrayals of Black female bodies. The practitioners critique these depictions, creating a legacy of the show.

1. Faiza (2020) © Robin de Puy / courtesy The Ravestijn Gallery. 2. Vivian Maier, New York, July 27, 1954 © Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy of Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, NY. 3. ©Sebastião Salgado, courtesy Robert Klein Gallery. 4. Jenova Chen (Xinghan) Chen. Flower. 2012. Video game software. Published by thatgamecompany. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. © 2008 Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. “Flower” is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Developed by thatgamecompany. 5. Soap, installation by Corine van Voorbergen, 2021. Diameter. 110 cm. Photo by Prisma Compositional. 6. Nina Röder, Omas Falten in Blau. from the series, Champagner im Keller (2020). 7. Hala Wardé, A Roof for Silence, Lebanese Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, 2021 Photo credit: Alain Fleischer and HW architecture © Adagp, 2022. Nina Röder, Omas Falten in Blau, from the series, Champagner im Keller (2020). 8. Christoph Sillem: Place Vendôme 3, 2020. Archival Pigment Print, mounted, framed, 120 x 150 cm, edition of 3 + 2 AP. 9. Fotograf unbekannt (Ernst Wasmuth Verlag), Rue de Turin 12, Brüssel 1899, © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek. 10. Jenn Nkiru, Music video for Kamasi, Washington's Hub Tones (2018), display dimensions variable. 9min. 7sec.

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Looking to Nature Gjert Rognli

The Sámi population is one of the largest indigenous groups in the world, and the oldest culture to exist in northern Norway. Today, the population expands across four countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia – and includes over 200,000 individuals. These communities maintain an extensive knowledge of weather patterns and seasons, navigating some of the world’s most challenging terrains. Gjert Rognli, who identifies with the Sámi culture, works across film, photography, sculpture and performance, drawing on a passionate connection with the organic world. What Nature Knows is a photographic journey into deep forests and across misty waterways – where surreal phenomena guide the viewer through the unknown. Glowing red lines draw the eye to rocky cliffsides, whilst scattered orbs create paths through the twilight. These near-mythological compositions draw on the opposing light and darkness of remote landscapes. gjert-rognli.com.

Gjert Rognli, What Nature Knows VI, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Gjert Rognli, What Nature Knows III, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Gjert Rognli, What Nature Knows VI, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Gjert Rognli, What Nature Knows II, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Gjert Rognli, What Nature Knows IV, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Gjert Rognli, What Nature Knows V, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Bold Social Commentary Tony Gum THE CAPE TOWN BASED TRAILBLAZER PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF SELFIE CULTURE, EXPLORING TRADITION, COMMERCIALISATION AND THE VALUE SYSTEMS OF THE SECTOR.

In 2010, at the age of 15, Tony (aka Zipho) Gum (b. 1995) emerged onto the scene with an art blog posting pictures of herself, using photography as a way to connect with the world and take up space. Through these creative, yet defiant, images, she critiqued the commercialisation of contemporary media, and crafted a new visual narrative entirely. Twelve years later, Gum is the subject of a major solo show, Milked in Africa.

from a background of artists, such as my uncle / cousin who is a fantastic fine artist. His name is Mongezi Gum. With the knowledge of people who have been in the field and practised for many years, I believe it is insincere of me to thrust myself into being called an artist when I believe it is a journey which you have to earn, not just walk into prematurely.

A: Do all artists need to consider their own value systems, questioning the sector and their wider place within it? TG: Artists are constantly having to renegotiate their values. We are creating work for ourselves, primarily, and for our immediate audience, but this ripples out to broader viewers, which we may not directly or indirectly want to communicate with. That is, I guess, the risk you take in being a creator. You are at the disposal of the opinions of others. I believe that believing in yourself, 100 per cent, is crucial for our survival. If you do not have a certain grounding, it is very easy to lose sight of yourself, and, in turn, that also affects the quality of A: Despite being called the “coolest girl in Cape Town” your work. Even as we are living, and evolving, in a modernby Vogue, is it true that you’ve often been wary of calling day world, there is a part of yourself that needs to hold true yourself an artist. How important are these definitions? to tradition: in culture, in the self and history. It is imperative TG: It’s not necessarily that I am wary of being called an artist, to solidify your self-worth as this helps you to navigate the but I don’t want to be prematurely confined to a certain walk industry whilst allowing room for your own kind of evolution. of life. I’m not a person who necessarily likes to conform. It’s not even a matter of liking, it’s not in my nature. So, I call A: Your interrogation of beauty standards is linked to the myself an “artist in learning” because that lends me the room idea of self-worth. Why do you create self-portraits? for learning and adapting to whatever I may feel inclined to TG: I am hesitant to describe my work as self-portraits, at the time. I shy away from definitive terms so that I don’t because there is a distinct difference in pictures that I would have to feel stuck. However, I also respect artistry. I come take of myself – me being me, just Zipho, the girl from A: Who, or what, do you continue to be inspired by? TG: I am inspired by God first and foremost. Family, too, is very important. In my culture we have “tribes” and sub-groups, and AmaXhosa are amongst these. When we identify where we come from, we say “ungumamni?” and that essentially means “what are your clan names?” So ooMpinga, ooBhele, ooJola, ooMokoena are the people that I come from. We start at the beginning. I am also inspired, of course, by my people: Africans, South Africans, Black and Xhosa women.

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Tony Gum, Xhosa Lady, (2015). Courtesy of the Artist.

“These images are quite determined as a deliberate removal of the self – whether that is by painting my skin a certain pigment, or including a certain adornment or attire that is quite distinct and pertains to a certain subgroup or subculture.”

Previous Page: Tony Gum. Stylist : Kristi Vlok. Photographer : Hayden Phipps. Art Direction : Stefan Naude. Magazine : The Lake Magazine (2015). Left: Tony Gum, Mother (2015). Courtesy of the artist.

Cape Town. There is a distinct difference between that and the portrait: the representational person or narrative that I get into “character” for. These images are quite determined as a deliberate removal of the self – whether that is by painting my skin a certain pigment, or including a certain adornment or attire that is quite distinct and pertains to a certain subgroup or subculture. These pictures are not a portrayal of myself. However, I am very inspired by the art of self-portraiture; my practice has stemmed from that genre. A: How do these images relate to your sense of self? TG: When I was younger, I was interested in placing myself in front of the camera. My relationship with myself, at the time, was quite volatile. I didn’t enjoy who I was, or how I looked: the skin I was in, my features, my hair texture. I was consuming a lot of media – watching TV, being on the internet or browsing through magazines, but these outlets didn’t represent a likeness, and that, of course, indirectly affected my relationship with myself. This devalued my understanding of beauty standards. Taking pictures was an act of defiance, in a way. Some people have likened me to Cindy Sherman, but I don’t see the relevance. Whereas, with the likes of Zanele Muholi and John Yuyi – these incredible artists of colour are pioneering placing themselves in front of camera to express a bigger narrative. I also enjoy the kitsch aesthetics of Nadia Lee Cohen, and, of course, the quintessential Frida Kahlo. A: Beyond the accessibility of selfie culture – what does the self-portrait mean to you as a genre and a medium? TG: I believe that, it, perhaps, ignites a sense of empowerment, even though it does pivot into weird dynamics on social media,

which depletes and warps the sense of self. We, as Black female photographers, have infiltrated that sphere, so, on balance, it lends itself to more equal sense of representation. You, as the person taking the selfie, are empowering yourself within this cultural reset. Anything that is man-made has an expiry date, yes, but selfies give us access. A: How did the Black Coca-Cola series begin – and how has this fed into your wider success as an artist? TG: Honestly, I was bored. I was playing, essentially. I decided to put a crate of empty coke bottles on my head, which I had seen in the backyard. I was quite inquisitive about the drink, because I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and we were big on the health message. One of the regulations pertained to not drinking caffeine. In the township, coke is a cult classic – and a drink of the culture. If you see a brown, fizzy substance, you immediately associate that with coke. It’s a drink that is part of every experience – whether we are mourning, or celebrating birthdays and weddings. It’s in every corner store. I never consumed it, but it was very much in my world. I knew it was the Black people’s drink, essentially. But I was always puzzled by the fact that CocaCola has not, yet, done a campaign to celebrate their biggest consumers. I figured Black Coca-Cola needed a Black woman, and that became the tagline for my piece. The work, through my lecturer, Dr Ashraf Jamal, introduced me to my gallerist Christopher Moller, which is how my career started. A: In your images, you often “rework” other classic western brands. Where does your interest in brands originate? TG: The culture of modernity is really big – especially in

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Tony Gum, Pin-up Lady ( 2015). Courtesy of the artist.

this third world country. We have a really big class divide. It’s not like luxury brands are foreign to us – they are not out of reach – but brand culture is huge, even in the middle to lower class communities, because in a sense, it adds to the perceived value of the person, especially when the apartheid system was ruling out sub-divisions – moving people out of their homes. The value system of a Black person in South Africa has diminished to a level that I don't even know how to describe. Post-apartheid, 28 years into democracy, we are still living within infrastructures that were meant to dehumanise. Black people are predominantly still the lower class, and the divide is still as rife as it was, even worse, perhaps, with the levels of unemployment and displacement. People are still living in these temporary structures, which essentially are permanent homes now for a lot of our people. We are dealing with a society that is very traumatised, and we have a warped relationship with our sense of self, finding material value with big western brands. People can be living in a certain infrastructure, but will definitely have Louis Vuitton shoes, or a top. A: In what ways are you creating a new conversation? TG: We were stripped of our identity, and sometimes, the only way to hold onto yourself is to dress yourself up. Brands are about presenting yourself with “Isidima”, which, means a sense of dignity and pride. It's become superficial, but it started as an act of defiance. The apartheid government put us in unliveable circumstances – but we still dressed up to the nines, making sure we were respectable and reputable, because they couldn’t take that away from us. I'm not creating a dialogue, rather, I’m echoing a message of self-worth. We don’t have to prove ourselves through clothing anymore.

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A: In the Milked in Africa series (2016-2021) you focus on an entirely different liquid: one that has more ancient symbolism, and acts, here, as a metaphor for the “pervasiveness of post-colonial agenda.” Where did the inspiration for this series begin, and how did it develop? TG: The inspiration came from Vladimir Tretchikoff’s works – his depictions of the female body. Of course, he was a white man painting women of colour, but there was a beautiful richness in these paintings, something very womanly. The pigment he chose to colour them with doesn't speak to a specific identity or people or class of people. It was almost ambiguous, and I enjoyed that. Being a modern-day woman, I have this push and pull – wanting to develop in society, but also feeling as though my traditions and cultures are not being respected. If they are highlighted, they are then commodified, and that transcends to the resources of this continent. We are literally the richest continent in terms of resources and minerals, however, we are one of the poorest, and it doesn’t add up. There's a deep desire for Africans to realise that they are the "milk" which everyone is thirsty for.

Right: Tony Gum. Stylist : Kristi Vlok. Photographer : Hayden Phipps. Art Direction : Stefan Naude. Magazine : The Lake Magazine (2015).

A: How important is it that your works are relatable? Is there a particular audience that you're speaking to? Words TG: My primary audience is my people: Black women, Xhosa Kate Simpson women, South Africans. But I'm sparking a lot of conversations with people across the globe, and it’s beautiful to hear that individuals connect with the work, even though they Tony Gum: Milked in Africa may not be of the same culture or tribe. We all are humans at Fotografiska New York the end of the day, so there is always a link, especially when Until 21 August covering relatable topics. When we are discussing displacement, or feeling exploited, it’s relevant to all Black people. fotografiska.com

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Stepping into Dreams Erik Johansson

In the age of digital construction – where roughly three quarters of all social media posts are edited, and the lines between fiction and truth are continuously blurred – we are living amongst artifice. Still, we are mesmerised by this sense of craft. What is it that makes us want to follow into these worlds and believe in their story? For Erik Johansson (b. 1985), the answer lies in physically creating all props and sets, meticulously building each vision, and using digital technology only as a tool to finalise the images, blending the edges and easing the viewer's transition from real to surreal. In these compositions, escalators emerge from the green, mossy ground, sending anonymous shoppers straight into strange, nocturnal forests. Figures walk between doorways, teetering between the land of dreams and reality. Workers step off from ledges into an imaginary commute, with a single helium-filled balloon in hand, ready to float on into the abyss. erikjo.com.

Erik Johansson, Leap of Faith, (2018). Courtesy of the artist.

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Erik Johansson, Just Visiting, (2019). Courtesy of the artist.

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Erik Johansson, Above All, (2019). Courtesy of the artist.

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Erik Johansson, Dreamwalker, (2014). Courtesy of the artist.

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Erik Johansson, Long Before We Met, (2021). Courtesy of the artist.

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Erik Johansson, Cut and Fold, (2012). Courtesy of the artist.

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Erik Johansson, The Cover Up, (2013). Courtesy of the artist.

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Formal Symmetry Alexander Grombach

The word “symmetry” comes from the Greek “symmetria”, meaning “agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement.” The concept has been fundamental to art and culture for millennia, and remains associated with visual harmony. Munichbased artist Alexander Grombach uses the same sense of order when constructing minimalist photographs. He describes symmetry as a way “of dealing with life’s chaos.” Lampposts form satisfying rows, receding – uniformly – into the distance. A lime green wall is sliced down the middle by a drainpipe, windows positioned either side of the divide. These images document patterns in urban and cultivated landscapes, from flattened crops to glistening plastic chairs in tiers. “The majority of my pictures are taken from everyday life, some would even call them trivial,” Grombach says. “However, I always try to infuse them with a sense of magic.” herrmoser.com | @herr_moser.

Alexander Grombach, Where is My Mind, (2022). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, Listen to the Wind, (2021). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, Thinking About Thinking, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, Hayday, (2021). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, Ghostkeeper, (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, Moonlight Shadow, (2022). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, Lush , (2019). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, What Are Words Worth, (2019). Courtesy of the artist.

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Alexander Grombach, Something Fast, (2018). Courtesy of the artist.

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Ambiguous Composition Elina Brotherus THE ACCLAIMED FINNISH PHOTOGRAPHER EVOKES A SENSE OF PLAY WITH EACH OF HER SELF-PORTRAITS, OBSCURING AND COMPLICATING THE NOTION OF IDENTITY.

“An artist makes art, but they are also a spectator of art,” says been so interesting in this time span of 25 years. I hope to Finnish photographer Elina Brotherus (b. 1972). She is per- live long enough to show a much larger evolution of the self. haps best known for self-portraits, which are steeped in visual history – capturing herself standing, serenely, in the open A: Let’s talk about the tension that runs through your expanses of lakes or atop the ragged summits of mountains. works: the figures could be seen as lost, or indeed exHer style has become instantly recognisable – lauded for actly where they intend to be; lonely or safe within their its minimalism, as well as its enigmatic sense of storytelling. own refuge; experiencing melancholy or serenity. How Here, figures are permitted a subjectivity of emotions, where important is it that you maintain this sense of ambiguity the psyche is open to creative and critical interpretation. – of complicating narratives, and expanding on the power of the image to communicate a spectrum of emotions? A: Your practice has, for over two decades, focused on EB: The emotions are much less structured, less defined in creating contrasts and connections: between bodies and my current work, as opposed to the more autobiographical landscapes, interior and exterior worlds. What is it that series that I have created in the past. The overall feeling is has continued to inspire you: to go out into the world and in the eye of the beholder. I believe that you see what you to create photographs? How has this journey changed see because of what you are going through in your life. along the way, such as, your principles or goals? Images communicate on so many different levels. Even a EB: I’ve had different reasons for photographing at different seemingly neutral face can suggest a multitude of readings, times. When I was young, I wanted to see what I looked like. depending on the context, the light, the surroundings, the I was divorced, so I had nobody else to take pictures of me. framing – and the other images in the sequence. I like the Another reason was that I was talking about emotions – what idea that photographs can pull us in different directions. I it is to be a young person growing up and feeling somewhat love ambiguity, having a chameleon-like presence. lost. It felt fair to use myself, to be genuine, and not to work with actors or other people. Gradually, my body and my A: Whilst your works contain expansive psychogeography, face became tools. Many things have changed in my pho- the face is often hidden from view, especially in your tography – I very seldom do narrative work nowadays, my later works. What is the significance of this concealment, practice is much more informed by historical avant-gardes, or erasure, or in turning away from the camera as you 1960s and 1970s conceptual and performative art. Yet, there have progressed throughout your career? is always this recognisable but evolving figure of the artist. I EB: Showing the face results in us fixing the identity to someenjoy observing the changes in myself as the model. It has thing specific. When the face is hidden, it’s easier to identify

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Elina Brotherus, Is There More to Life Than This (2018). 90cm x 120cm, from the series Seabound. Image courtesy of the artist, gb agency, Paris, and Martin AsbaekGallery, Copenhagen.

“Showing the face results in us fixing the identity to something specific. When the face is hidden, it’s easier to identify with the person. As a viewer, you are able to step into their body and see with their eyes.”

Previous Page: Elina Brotherus, Imaginary Burial Place 3 (2019, detail). 80cm x 120cm, from the series Sebaldiana. Memento mori. Image courtesy of the artist, gb agency, Paris, and Martin Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen. Left: Elina Brotherus, Seabound Two Nights in a Row (2018). 120cm x 90cm, from the series Seabound. Image courtesy of the artist, gb agency, Paris, and Martin Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen.

with the person. As a viewer, you are able to step into their body and see with their eyes. In recent years, I have been working on a portrait series inspired by John Baldessari. He once stated that the face steals all the attention, so to make people look at other elements on the picture plane, we need to conceal the face. This is a lesson I have adopted. A: How can still images contain these kinds of multitudes – in ways that, perhaps, other art forms cannot? EB: Images are more open than, say, films. We are not given one single story line to follow, and I'm keen that I expand upon this prism of emotions and ideas: ambiguity. The feeling that the viewer interprets? Well, that's entirely up to them. A: Many of the compositions reference the Romantic landscapes of Caspar David Friedrich, particularly the seminal painting Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (1818). In what ways are you placing these works in dialogue with your own, challenging the narratives of humanity in which we glorify, and then conquer, nature? EB: With my first Wanderer allusion (Personnage dans un paysage (montagne) – from 2000 – the protagonist still faces the camera, showing the slope she has climbed to conquer the mountain. When I returned to the subject matter three years later, the picture was already called Der Wanderer, and I chose to turn the model away from the camera. My initial idea was to place a young woman in a landscape that, through the Romantic ideal, was typically reserved for men. She, too, deserves to be on top and have her gaze free to roam the world from this critical observation point. I became so attached to this motif of the “Rückenfigur” – the figure

seen from the back – that I have continued to use it in various series. My recent body of work, Sebaldiana. Memento mori, deals with remembering our dead – it has several figures in mourning at imaginary burial places, or sites I pulled from W. G. Sebald’s posthumously published writings about Corsica. A: What power structures, if any, are you moving against, in your work? Are you questioning a certain gaze – either from the viewer, or through the lens of art history? EB: I want to create space and agency for women as do-ers, makers and self-confident actors within their own industry. I’ve been around for a while, so it's great to hear that I’ve served as an example, and been an encouragement for younger artists. When I studied, we had Cindy Sherman and Nan Goldin, but all the rest of the curriculum were men. As students and artists, we all need art made by a range of perspectives – to avoid getting a biased view of the world. A: How do you choose the landscapes you work in, and what is their significance? What is the role of the figure as a whole within these geographies? Is it romanticised? EB: I don’t feel I’m romanticising. I use the geography as a stage where performative actions can take place. The landscape can be anything – anywhere – I just need alonetime there for the ideas to surface. Lately, I’ve been receiving invitations to work in fantastic places. In 2019, Centre Méditerranéen de la Photographie invited me to Corsica where I made the Sebaldiana series. AKO Kunststiftelse had me working in southern Norway for two years, which resulted in another recent series, Seabound (featured here). In every region, I visit different landmarks: this takes me to

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Elina Brotherus, Aften I Ny-Hellesund (båt) (2018). 90cm x 120cm, from Seabound. Courtesty of the artist, gb agency, Paris, and Martin Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen.

outer archipelagos and mountains, from NYC skyline views to forests or to lighthouses. My eyes are hungry for new landscapes, and through discovery, the work becomes easy. A: Has your relationship with ecology changed over the last few years, and, if so, does it feed into your work? EB: I have started to personally invest in ancient forests through a Finnish foundation called Luonnonperintösäätiö. Their sole goal is to recognise valuable woodlands – to buy them and, ultimately, protect them. I donate both money and works for their charity auctions. By protecting forests, we also protect animals and biodiversity and create long-term carbon storage. This has become very important to me. A: Tell us about your upcoming show at FFFrankfurt. What does the title In Reference to a Sunny Place mean to you, and what does the exhibition bring together in terms of your wider practice? There’s almost a sense of play that comes into this title – how important is this? EB: Celina Lunsford, my curator and the director of Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, came up with the title. I liked it and approved it. I much prefer long and obscure titles to something like Elina Brotherus – Works 1997-2019. In Reference to a Sunny Place is a small retrospective that presents key images from over 20 years, but it has a strong focus on recent work. The older I get the more carefree I become. I don’t need to prove anything anymore. I can do fun things as and when I please. I have taken as my reference various sources like Baldessari’s Art Assignment Sheets (1970), where he encourages artists to “make up an art game”, “disguise one object as another”, or “document change, decay and metamorphosis.”

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I also draw upon the Event Scores of the Fluxus artist collective from the 1960s – an interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets who engaged in experimental art performances, emphasising the artistic process over the finished product. Their proposal pieces or "recipes" for actions, include directions such as "place a dog or a cat (or both) inside a piano and play Chopin", "run a 220-yard race with inflated balloons tied to the body" or "regard two or three oranges for a long time." These physical gestures are creative tasks that open the mind – like blueprints. They are tools through which I create something completely new. A: What was the starting point for the curatorial focus of the exhibition? How do you want the title to inform and influence the viewers' overarching experience? EB: Celina Lunsford took my 2019 Playground exhibition at PHotoESPAÑA as a starting point for this show. She took the idea of colourful walls, a selection of video works and playful performative pieces. Crucially, however, she added a “before” and an “after.” We have early autobiographical pieces and some works from Wanderers plus other model studies, to show where I come from. We conclude with a selection of new works from Sebaldiana. Memento mori. That series has quite a different tone: it deals with death, mourning and tribute. I follow in the footsteps of W. G. Sebald whose book on Corsica remained unfinished at his untimely death. I went to many locations Sebald mentions and was thinking of my own dead. I was looking for places so beautiful, that, if I were Corsican, I would bury loved ones there. In Reference to a Sunny Place is well-curated, well-installed and well-paced. It allows, as I intend, for multiple readings and experiences.

Right: Elina Brotherus, Shore (Shadow of a Cloud) (2018, detail). 80cm x 106cm, from the series Seabound. Image courtesy of the artist, gb agency, Paris, and Martin Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen.

Words Kate Simpson

Elina Brotherus: In Reference to a Sunny Place Fotografie Forum Frankfurt Until 18 September fffrankfurt.org

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Digital Playgrounds Borja Alegre

In 2020, a series of unexplained pillars began to appear across the globe. The first monolith was discovered in Utah, followed by similar sightings in California, Romania and the Isle of Wight. Their appearance captivated the world, with questions being asked: who was behind the mysterious structures? Could they be a sign of extra-terrestrial life? Such forms are part of Borja Alegre’s (b. 1987) visual world. The 3D motion designer specialises in the surreal: “I enjoy defying what can or can’t exist.” Cuboids balance in mid-air – seeming to resist gravity. Figures sit on top of them and wear them like accessories. Elsewhere, rocky outcrops become playgrounds for experimentation, with bodies bending over backwards or holding up apparently impossible weights. Hands and legs emerge from desert landscapes, reflective blocks poised on tiptoes. As the idea of interplanetary travel continues to make headlines, Alegre’s images encourage us to imagine other worlds. borjaalegre.com.

Borja Alegre, Monolith 1 (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Borja Alegre, Covid (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Borja Alegre, Monolith 2 (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Borja Alegre, Ankle (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Borja Alegre, Josh (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Borja Alegre, Monolith 3 (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

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Dynamic Arrangement Tekla Evelina Severin

The Memphis Design Collective existed for only six years: from 1981 to 1987. Yet, the group broke new ground, becoming synonymous with clashing colours, geometric shapes and bold patterns. Iconic objects from the period include Ettore Sottsass’ Carlton bookcase – since collected by the likes of David Bowie, Karl Lagerfeld and Cara Delevingne. Tekla Evelina Severin is a Stockholm-based colourist, designer and photographer. She is a collaborator with Vogue Brazil, IKEA and Levi’s, and is known for seeking – and finding – lines, shapes and palettes within her surroundings. In the kitchen, for example, black and white stripes pop against terracotta surfaces. Outdoors, pastel pinks collide with mustard yellows, casting shadows in the blazing sun. Elsewhere, red and purple archways lead to abstract destinations. Cubes and spheres draw the eye, whilst figures stand within carefully curated mises-en-scène. teklaevelinaseverin.com.

The very simple teklan edition. Design, Set Design & Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin. Photo: Fredrik Bengtsson, (2021).

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Tarkett Concept Design. Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Image Credit: Tekla Evelina Severin and Gabriel Söderbladh.

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Montana: The Teklan Free Edition. Set design & Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Photo: Yellow studios / Mikkel Mortensen.

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Teklan Mix x Heymat. Direction & Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Photography in collaboration with Gabriel Söderbladh.

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Teklan Mix x Heymat. Direction & Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Photography in collaboration with Gabriel Söderbladh.

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Tarkett Concept Design. Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Image Credit: Tekla Evelina Severin and Gabriel Söderbladh.

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Montana: The Teklan Free Edition. Set design & Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Photo: Yellow studios / Mikkel Mortensen.

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The very simple teklan edition. Design, Set Design & Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin. Photo: Fredrik Bengtsson, (2021).

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Tarkett Concept Design. Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Image Credit: Tekla Evelina Severin and Gabriel Söderbladh.

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Tarkett Concept Design. Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Image Credit: Tekla Evelina Severin and Gabriel Söderbladh.

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Montana: The Teklan Free Edition. Set design & Styling: Tekla Evelina Severin, (2020). Photo: Yellow studios / Mikkel Mortensen.

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Illusory Technologies Somewhere Ethereal SIX OF THE WORLD'S MOST REVERED NFT ARTISTS COME TOGETHER IN A PHYSICAL EXHIBITION SHOWCASING THE BEST IN DIGITAL RENDERS AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS.

In 2014, the digital artist Kevin McCoy and tech entrepreneur Anil Dash were working late at an art “hack-a-thon” in New York, looking at ways to transfer authorship of digital art works they’d had been unable to sell. They needed to find a way to make a few copies “authentic” so as to distinguish them from the other versions. That night, they worked out that, by putting them on the blockchain, they could permanently affix a digital ownership certificate to an artwork, that could then be infinitely passed on and traded. Without realising it, they had invented the world’s first Non-Fungible Token (NFT). Back then, digital artists had mainly been sidelined by museums and institutions, in the most part because of the difficulty of physically exhibiting works that belong in the virtual space. There was also a lingering resistance from the traditional art world. Digital art did not fit into its structure of endorsement. Curators, collectors, critics and gallerists – the established gatekeepers of art – weren’t paying the genre much attention, and it remained a small, niche movement. That began to change in 2017, when two “creative technologists” – John Watkinson and Matt Hall were alerted to the growing popularity of online avatars and decided to create their own NFT project. Using a generative computer programme, they created 10,000 unique characters on the Ethereum blockchain. They called their project Cryptopunks and they opted to let anyone with an Ethereum wallet claim one for free. They had no idea how it would be received, but saw it as an investigation into scarcity and demand. It did not take long for every Cryptopunk (1,000 they kept for themselves) to be claimed, and soon a thriving secondary

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trading market sprang up. Interest in NFTs continued to grow steadily until early 2021, when the market suddenly exploded. The catalyst was the Christie’s sale of Beeple’s (Mike Winkelmann) NFT, First 5000 Days, at auction for $69.3 million. Drawing from pop culture and set mainly in post-apocalyptic futuristic landscapes, Beeple had made a drawing every day between 2007 to 2021 and tessellated them into one enormous digital image. The sale kickstarted a digital art gold rush. Beeple became the third most expensive living artist at auction, and suddenly the art world – quick to react once money’s involved – began to take notice. Unlike technologies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum – which are interchangeable – Non-fungible tokens are so-called because each is, in some way, completely unique. These specific identification codes and metadata have enormous utility that could be applied to turn anything from music, games, even tweets, into digital assets. Like sculpture and painting, NFTs were a new medium to work in and interpret. Their widespread adoption not only redefined the creation process but allowed digital artists, for the first time, to sell their artworks as conveniently as a painter would sell a canvas. Figurative painting remains the dominant medium at this year’s edition of Art Basel – the world’s most prestigious art fair. Although NFTs did appear in the booths of a few forwardthinking galleries, uptake for digital art has been surprisingly slow. But where the traditional art world lags behind, galleries and new exhibition spaces are opening up and are beginning to cater to this growing market. In March of this year, the dedicated NFT space, Quantus Gallery, opened in London

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Andreas Wannerstedt, Sliding Zeus XL. (detail).

“Before, emerging names required a respected institution to back them if they were to have any chance of gaining credibility and commercial success, but the blockchain now allows digital artists to get direct access to their collectors.”

Previous Page: THINGS I LOVED AS A CHILD (2020). Andrés Reisinger in collaboration with Alba de la Fuente. Left: RAC Album Cover (Boy, 2020). Concept and creative direction: Reisinger Studio. Art Direction: Andrés Reisinger, Carlose Neda. 3D artists: Andrés Reisinger, Carlos Neda.

and this summer, Fotografiska in Stockholm, are putting on their first “physical” NFT exhibition, Somewhere Ethereal. Fotografiska doesn’t sell works, instead, with its unique hybrid museum model, it charges entry to mainly touring photographic exhibitions that then travel on to one of the franchises in New York, Tallinn, and a soon-to-be-open space in Berlin. The museum has shown digital art before, but this is the first time artworks will be exhibited as actual NFTs on the blockchain. “We may be dedicated to photography,” says Jessica Jarl, Director of Global Exhibitions, “but for us it is important to show and reflect what is happening in the world right now with so many artists starting to work in this media.” Somewhere Ethereal features the work of six of the most priominent NFT artists at work today: Itzel Yard (IX Shells), Andrés Reisinger, Andreas Wannerstedt, Krista Kim, Erick Calderon (Snowfro) and Six N. Five. For those who have only seen digital art through their smartphones, seeing these sizeable projections provides a far more impactful and immersive viewing experience. In the six individual rooms, the curators have used mirrors and an atmospheric soundtrack to unite the digital and physical realm and simulate a richly meditative experience. The viewer is taken on a flowing, contemplative journey that manages to combine the speed and innovation of advanced technologies with the often contradictory human need for relaxation and wellbeing, from ASMR-inspired brain massages with Andres Wannerstedt’s Sliding Zeus IX, to techier, more conceptual works like Erick Calderon’s Chromie Squiggle – where gradients of saturated colour flow along a three-dimensional shape. “Calderon’s NFT is generative,” says Mathieu Wothke, Somewhere Ethereal’s curator, “so when people want to buy the

artwork and mint it, they get their own randomised version of the piece.” There is a QR code beside each artwork and visitors can use their phone to see it on the blockchain and find out how much it would cost. “In most cases the artwork has already sold, and I don’t think the owners want to sell.” Wothke continues. “But you can potentially put in an offer.” This new sales model has far-reaching implications for the traditional commerical gallery, with the potential to make the art market a far more accessible and inclusive industry. Before, emerging names required a respected institution to back them if they were to have any chance of gaining credibility and commercial success around the world, but blockchain now allows digital artists to bypass intermediaries and get direct access to their collectors. Practitioners can put their work directly on platforms like OpenSea and Nifty Gateway, which act as showrooms and marketplaces with minimal overheads. “If you sell work through a gallery, an artist might never even know who is buying from them and have no contact with them at all”, says Wothke, whereas the process of buying an NFT is “really transparent and individuals can build a tight relationship with their collectors.” Now based in Barcelona, the Argentinian born Andrés Reisinger is one of the most sought-after and recognised digital artists. Formerly a three-dimensional designer working for big-name brands, it was a natural progression for him to move into making NFTs where his technical abilties and curiosity for new technologies were ideally suited for the crypto art space. His lavish, pink-hued worlds, set in otherworldly, dream-like landscapes, are a perfect balance of welcomeness and unfamiliarity. Often the animations are so meticulously rendered, you don’t question their sense of

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Six N. Five. The Red Spot.

“authenticity” at first. It’s only after a while, that you become aware of an underlying disquiet, a subtle but persistent feeling that something – somehow – is not quite right. His featured work, Pollen, is an intriguing play on the tradition of the still-life genre. A loose bundle of blurred and ever-shifting, blossoming vegetation, the work trembles and quivers, and, like nature itself, alters and transforms through the changing seasons. The piece is exclusive in the fact it is only available to those who had bought one of his earlier NFTs: “I wanted to thank my earlier collectors,” says Reisinger, “with something more than just another artwork, rather an experience that integrates them as contributors to the creation of art.” If the collector decides, they can exchange their owned NFT for Pollen, allowing the code to interact (pollinate) with the new work and trigger a “transformation process that results in what is defined as recombinant art”, says Reisinger. Making the collector a co-creator of the piece, Pollen radically shakes up of the process of both making and collecting art. The work facilitates a collaborative relationship between artist and collector – entering into a new dialogue that’s only possible within these digital parameters. Borrowing from the shapes and forms of nature, Reisinger’s work, with its flourishing flowers and stems, achieves a sense of abundance and rapid alteration that is impossible to find in the natural world. This is also the case with Six N. Five’s The Red Spot, an animation that digitally reimagines nature as a looping, serene seascape that plunges the viewer into a deep state of calm. Both works combine realism and fictitious landscapes to play on our sensory connections, using the digital to explore our experience of the natural world. For Reisinger, we are only just beginning to explore the

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capabilities of the NFT medium: “the beauty of such tech- Right: Andrés Reisinger, nologies is that you never know how it will change, and what More Understanding (2019). newness it will bring. NFTs are in constant mutation and de- Courtesy of Reisinger Studio. velopment, and I think in the future we’ll be able to use NFTs to bring us closer to our physical world, helping us discover more about the potentials we already own.” As our physical and digital worlds becoming increasingly integrated, blurred and interwoven, this play between the real and the virtual transcends the limitations of our physical world. “My reality is composed of so many elements.” Reisinger says, “I experience the physical and I experience the digital. They are both realities – simultaneously tangible and intangible.” Despite the volatility in the market and accusations that many NFTs have been pursued for financial goals, their rapid growth has revealed the huge appetite for digital art objects. Even if the speed has come at a cost, many NFTs, according to Wothke, “are lacking critical engagement and meaning and that’s down to everything moving at such a speed.” That’s usually the way new cultures emerge, with artists producing outside the mainstream and critical viewpoints forced to play catch up. The difference in this case is that, in the space of just a few years, NFTs have grown from a marginal niche market Words to a highly sought-after commodity. Global recognition has Duncan Ballantyne-Way come quickly alongside an enthusiastic collector base. NFTs have already had a significant impact on the present moment. As the number and quality of exhibitions improve, Somewhere Ethereal its importance to culture and society looks only set to increase. “When you work with digital artworks, there is such Fotografiska Stockholm variety, the expression can look so different.” Says Jarl, “Even Until 21 August if you don’t understand the technology, these landscapes reveal the strange new possibilities now widely available.” fotografiska.com

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art

Dramatic Alterations Maciek Jasik

“Manifest Destiny” was a phrase, and a concept, coined in the USA in 1845, during the presidency of James K. Polk (1845-1849). It encompassed the notion that Americans were divinely ordained: part of a political and religious doctrine to expand towards the west, profiting from the so-called “plentiful emptiness” of the land. This territorial belief justified the forced removal of native communities, intensified racial tensions, and, ultimately, became kindling for the Civil War. Maciek Jasik’s (b. 1978) series, The World With Us, explores humanity’s yearning, once again, some 200 years later, for empty spaces – a form of escape from the urbanised, homogenised, lands of our own creation. These images, which overlay hyper-real colour palettes onto spliced rock formations from Oregon, Arizona and Utah, draw attention to the irony of this desire, and the ways in which we have altered landscapes beyond our own recognition. maciekjasik.com.

Maciek Jasik, The Dalles, Oregon (2017). Courtesy of the artist.

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