11 Feb 2013

Ulla von Brandenburg: 'Gleich Gleich Gleich' at KIOSK, Ghent

With 'Gleich Gleich Gleich', KIOSK presents the first Belgian solo show by artist Ulla von Brandenburg (Karlsruhe, 1974, currently based in Paris). Von Brandenburg's artistic practice is a visualization of the tensions between reality and fiction, visitor and actor, subject and object. Hallucination, mirror images and illusion influence the way we look and von Brandenburg's theatrical style continually responds to this.

The artist starts from complex story lines, which she interweaves with ritual acts, historical references and elements from contemporary popular culture. Inspirations drawn from baroque theatre, German romanticism, trompe-l'oeil, literature and the occult come together in spatial installations consisting of coloured textile, theatre backdrops, watercolours, murals and film pieces. These elements are all specifically created and staged for the exhibition space concerned, resulting in unique scenographies and immersive experiences.

KIOSK presents Ulla von Brandenburg with the opportunity to bring together all aspects of her diverse oeuvre in a single comprehensive presentation. The exhibition combines two recent video works with an installation specifically conceived for the space.
KIOSK's central dome room takes on the guise of a circular amphitheatre: wooden stands encircle the space and become the setting for the film 'Shadowplay' (2012). This work, inspired by the classical nineteenth-century French shadow play, highlights the existential role of the actor and revolves around the dualist point where the actor as a subject is taken over by the fiction of the part. Fascinations like the deconstruction of theatrical conventions, the strategy of the artificial and the confrontation with the real or represented image are further explored in the second video, 'Spiegellied' ('Mirror Song', 2012). For the cabinet rooms von Brandenburg has conceived new textile work that creates the visual illusion of sun-bleached curtains.

Ulla von Brandenburg's work is featured regularly in international group shows and at important biennials, such as the Biennial of Lyon (2011) and the Venice Biennial (2009). Solo shows of von Brandenburg's work have been presented at Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012), Le Plateau-FRAC, Île de France, Paris (2011), Chisenhale, London (2009), CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco (2008), Kunstverein Düsseldorf (2008), Docking Station, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (2008) & Kunsthalle Zürich (2006).