APPROPRIATE ALL EMOTIONS,
EBENSPERGER RHOMBERG, SALZBURG
JUL 21 – AUG 31, 2019

A NEW SERIES OF PAINTINGS INTRODUCES IMAGES THAT HAVE BEEN CULLED FROM VIDEOS VIEWED OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES ON YOUTUBE, WHAT WE CALL VIRAL VIDEOS. THESE PICTURES ARE LARGER THAN NORMAL AND THE STYLE OF PAINTING IS MORE EXPRESSIVE, WITH LOOSER, MORE GESTURAL BRUSHWORK. THE PAINTINGS IN THIS SERIES ARE PAIRED WITH POETIC TEXTS BY AUTHORS LIKE RAINER MARIA RILKE, T. S. ELIOT, PAUL CELAN OR PAUL BOWLES, WHICH CONTRAST SHARPLY WITH THEM, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE ORIGIN OF THE TWO TYPES OF MESSAGES AS WELL AS WHO THEY ARE AIMED AT.

IMAGES IN SITU © EBENSPERGER

THE EXHIBITION ALSO INCLUDES THE EPONYMOUS VIDEO INSTALLATION APPROPRIATE ALL EMOTIONS. FOR THIS PIECE THE DUO COLLABORATED WITH SIX IN FLUENTIAL YOUTUBERS ON WHOSE FACES THEY PAINTED WOUNDS REMINISCENT OF KNIFE SLASHES OR OTHER ECHOES OF VIOLENT ACTS – A NOD TO STIGMATA ICONOGRAPHY AS WELL AS VIENNA ACTIONISM. THE VLOGGERS WOULD THEN GO ON MAINTAINING THEIR CHANNELS AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. THEIR AUDIENCE WAS NEVER TOLD THAT THESE WOUNDS WERE THE PRODUCT OF AN ARTISTIC INTERVENTION BUT WERE LEFT WONDERING THEY WERE THE RESULT OF A MINOR ACCIDENT OR A SERIOUS ACT OF VIOLENCE. ACCOMPANYING THE SHOW, MUNTEAN/ROSENBLUM WILL STAGE AN INTERVENTION IN THIS VEIN AT THE SALZBURGER FESTSPIELE ON 21 JULY.