Position Absolute – Press Release

Personal belongings. We possess, we buy, collect, inherit. What is the meaning of all material objects that surround us and which lose their practical use? Security… Memory… Fashion… Obsession… Evidence. – Šejla Kamerić

 

Galerie Tanja Wagner is pleased to present new works by Šejla Kamerić in her solo exhibition Position Absolute .

The central work of the exhibition Existence is a series of color photographs, which depict everyday objects marked with numbers in the style of crime scene photographs or fashion blog product placement. The photograph itself is mounted on the left side of a paper spread – resembling old photo albums – and complemented by a description of the objects on the spread’s right side. The descriptions are written in manner of verses, creating a poem but following the strict order of the object’s numbering. The work brings together a rather scientific imagery with a poetic language; it interlinks fact and fiction, documentary and storytelling. It raises the question of how to measure the value of everyday objects, charged with personal as well as collective memories. How much are we as human beings dependent on personal belongings, memories and a ‘story’ of ourselves, in which way do they contribute to our individual identity?

The second body of work in the exhibition Position Absolute are four stone spheres with engraved grid coordinates, designating the sites of Balkan war atrocities. The work refers to the mystic stone spheres that can be found worldwide, and especially in Bosnia. Although the myth says, their position is essential for the earth’s spiritual balance and should never be changed, most of them have been moved from their original location over time. By merging the mythic dimension of the story with the cold facts of the war, Kamerić creates a powerful symbol of remembrance.

Three cardboard boxes placed in the gallery space are titled Care 1, 2 & 3 . One contains candles, some are new and others half burned, the second box is filled with expired food cans, and the third with newspapers and magazines. They are a remake of the packages that the artist received as humanitarian aid during the war in Bosnia. The work is a direct response to the state of power between different socioeconomic groups in a time of crises. It questions one’s understanding of his or her own “absolute” position.

The proceeds from the sales of artwork  Care 1, 2 & 3  will be donated to UNHCR humanitarian aid for refugees.