ISMNS

I never see myself

A reality is always in the eye of the recipient. How old is she, in which environment did she grow up and which media did she / he surround herself with in the course of her / his life?
Perceptions of reality are always coupled with neurological processes; with processes that determine how our brain processes the data that our sensory organs deliver to it. These neurological processes and the resulting perceptions interest me in my artistic work. How can neurological processes, how can perceptions of reality be represented? Art history shows some examples of this. Surrealism in particular, but also many artists of other styles, have dealt in detail with the dream topic.
For me, however, it is not about the representation of dreams and also not, like the surrealists, an expansion of consciousness, but rather the representation of medical case studies of hallucinations. It is important to me that these are not caused by drugs, but by other circumstances, such as fear, darkness, migraines, epilepsy, Charles Bonnet syndrome or other diseases and neurological changes from the “norm”. The artistic implementation takes place on the basis of staged photography, whereby I use these medical case studies as the basis for my stagings. This representation of the deviation from the norm is intended to clarify how the neurological processes of perception are normally influenced by social norms and guided in certain, regulated paths.

In a purely methodical way, I proceed in such a way that I design the scenes with the help of 3D programs on the computer and create lighting moods using render programs. This is followed by the casting of the actors, designing of costumes and make-up images. The practical implementation finally takes place in a film studio. The chosen camera is the digital medium format camera, Hasselblad H4D.

In all my work, it is important to me that the basis is sound in science. Thus, the work does not get lost in abstractions. The rooms in which the scenes take place have to walk the fine line between real and unreal. Not all works have to be produced with as much effort as those already produced. A series should be created that should be balanced but also contrary.
At the beginning of my studies I still devoted myself to painting. In terms of content, I always revolved around my own psyche and my own biography. At a certain point in time, I realized that I could not achieve my artistic goals with the help of painting, so I chose new media such as film, audio or photography. These media have opened up completely new possibilities for me in artistic work. My work today is always based on a concept that takes its starting point in society or in psychological conditions. The technical execution is equivalent to the content, since the discovery of new technical means is just as important as the execution and creation of the work of art itself.
The idea behind the concept fascinates me. That a project, a work, can be planned in many details and still contains surprising and unpredictable elements. The end result should also evoke a fascination, a reflection and inquiry but also a clarity on a level of understanding.