Secession

Liv Schulman
The Sickness Into Death
2024

21.06.24

Liv Schulman

Liv Schulman is about to dive into the topic of smoking, which is essentially a discussion about mortality and the passage of time. In her unique and captivating monologue style, she unveils her latest commissioned performance piece. Drawing inspiration from Søren Kierkegaard's exploration of despair, the performance delves into individuation, Cartesian logic, and the concept of faith in a higher power. Embracing the philosophy of an utterly desperate self that is pushed to its limits, the protagonist of Sickness unto Death weaves a narrative that appears to emerge from a series of smoking holes in the walls.

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Rrose Sélavy/Marcel Duchamp
Anémic Cinéma
1926

17.06.24

Rrose Sélavy/Marcel Duchamp

The anagram that makes the title of this piece alludes to its visual qualities, which produce a hypnotizing tunnel-like effect through the illusion created by the motion of a spiral-painted disk. The filmed cardboard circles are spinning on a phonograph turntable but make no sound. The film shows nine rotating such disks with spirals drawn on them and ten disks inscribed with verbal puns. The animated-drawing disks—which Duchamp called Rotoreliefs—and the somewhat obscene texts producing an alliteration when read out loud make for a visual and textual attempt at a psychogenic effect. This early stab at ASMR suggests certain mediated stimuli that are perceived as direct effects. Experience without representation, machinic enslavement, and non-signifying semiotics are the contemporary terms one would use to describe these intricate yet seemingly unmediated relations. Marcel Duchamp credited the piece to his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy, and it was made in collaboration with Man Ray and Marc Allégret.

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Noam Yuran
Living with Digital Things
16.02.2024

14.06.24

Noam Yuran

Noam Yuran's presentation delves into the tangible aspects of the digital realm, delving into the sensuality of technology by asserting that "reality becomes eroticized when filming either adds to it or reveals an excess within it." Drawing from the theories of Vilém Flusser, Sigmund Freud, and Donald Winnicott, Yuran argues that "emojis serve to signify that there is something beyond mere meaning in communication." Ultimately, the talk posits that the smartphone functions as a transitional object, existing in a state between illusion and hallucination. This piece is part of a collection documenting the on-site activities of SLIME, which occurred from February 16 to 18, 2024 at the Secession. Each video was filmed and edited by Max Reinhold, with scripting and direction by artist Liv Schulman.

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Noam Yuran is a senior secturer in the graduate program in science, technology and society at the Bar Ilan University, Israel. He studies political economy, the history of capitalism and visual media. His new book, “The Sexual Economy of Capitalism,” is forthcoming from Stanford University Press later this year.

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Echosystem
2024

07.06.24

Ulrich Formann with Yul Koh

The app "Telegram" was made to bypass Russian censorship and repression. Its complex corporate setup, decentralized servers, and strong encryption allowed users to avoid government interference and surveillance. By pledging not to moderate content, the messaging service has become the go-to social network and news source for specific public spheres (like conspiracy theories, far-right movements, and esotericism) connected through group chats and news channels. These networks are often called "echo chambers" to show how they reinforce alternative worldviews. While this concept helps explain radicalization from a personal perspective, it doesn't capture the full scope of influencers, activists, politicians, and alternative media channels and their connections. The "Echosystem" installation aims to delve into these network dynamics and structures. A program analyzes language and content from public channels, revealing a hidden digital ecosystem by tracking shared post sources. These hidden network structures are depicted as a planetary sky, with individual channels represented as star cut-outs. Through scaling, placement, and interconnections, a universe is formed from a single echo chamber, turning it into an echo system.

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Francesco Finizio & Joshua Simon
Tour of the exhibition Slime
18.02.2024

03.06.24

Francesco Finizio & Joshua Simon

Documentation of the exhibition tour with Francesco Finizio and Joshua Simon, which took place on-site and online. Finizio's installation Tickle Drown Thing (2024) stood at the centre of the iconic main gallery at the Secession, rendering the gallery as a kind of disrupted delivery point for picking up your online shopping. The tour took place at Secession and on Zoom.

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Lior Zalmanson
I Can Feel It
2023

31.05.24

Lior Zalmanson

In the piece "I can sense it," Lior Zalmanson revised the translation for a scene from the film "2001: A Space Odyssey". In this scene, astronaut Dr. David Bowman shuts down the computer HAL 9000 - responsible for running the spaceship - while the computer tries to reassure him, begs for its life, and shows fear. This scene stands out for its attempt to evoke empathy not just from the astronaut but also from the audience towards HAL. Zalmanson used the GPT engine in a series of iterations, gradually refining HAL's speech to make it more human-like. This process of iterative improvement not only demonstrates a deep exploration of artificial empathy but also raises profound questions about the nature of consciousness in machines. The nuanced text that emerges from this creative effort doesn't just highlight potential shortcomings; it provides a rich perspective on how ChatGPT, envisioned as HAL's younger relative, delves into and reveals the complexities of human emotions and motivations. This exploration subtly raises questions about the need for artificial models to achieve true consciousness in order to significantly impact human emotions and decisions, suggesting that the ability to mimic empathy and understanding might be enough to influence human perceptions and interactions, regardless of whether these models possess genuine awareness and intelligence.

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Lior Zalmanson, I Can Feel It, 2023

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Lior Zalmanson
Basic Basic English
2019

31.05.24

Lior Zalmanson

In a world where people are using AI for everyday conversations, Basic Basic English makes us think about the power dynamics in the interaction between humans and machines. It also highlights the pressure on humans to adjust their communication style to fit with current technological limitations.

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Lior Zalmanson, Basic Basic English, 2019

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Sophia Stolz & Steffi Stankovic & Robert Birchbauer
Slime Costume Blowout Cake Extravaganza and Dance Ball
17.02.2024

27.05.24

Sophia Stolz & Steffi Stanković & Robert Birchbauer

On Saturday 17.02.2024 Secession hosted the Slime Costume Blowout Cake Extravaganza and Dance Ball. Cake artist Sophia Stolz baked a tribute to seminal Viennese artist Franz West, with cake versions of his sculpture "Telefonat (Phone Call)" (1997). Guests participated in a costume competition of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (1931–2022), with temporary tattoos of the iconic birthmark of the former president of the Soviet Union. The winner of the Gorbachev look-alike competition received the first piece of cake from activist and comedian Steffi Stankovi? who conducted the cutting of the cake ceremony. Stankovi? dedicated her performance to the spirit of ghosting with the song "Telephone" (2009) by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé. The evening closed with TikTok dancing choreography by Zumba® jammer Robert Birchbauer.

This work is part of a series documenting the on-site program of SLIME that took place from February 16 to 18, 2024 at the Secession. Each of the videos was shot and edited by Max Reinhold and scripted and directed by artist Liv Schulman.

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Thomas Feuerstein
in conversation with
Joshua Simon
2024

24.05.24

Thomas Feuerstein

Artist Thomas Feuerstein has created installations and "molecular sculptures" inspired by chemical and biological processes involving algae and bacteria. His sculptures embody, interact, and exude slime as a form and anti-form. In this dialogue, Feuerstein discusses with Slime curator Joshua Simon his reflections on this material state that perpetually exists in a state of transition. They delve into the enchanting goo in Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom and elaborate on the distinctions between thixotropic and rheopectic properties, as well as the ways in which slime is both tactile and symbolic. The visuals are from Feuerstein's film sculpture Sternenrotz (2015) and his exhibitions Psychoprosa at Frankfurter Kunstverein (2015) and Chronus Art Center, Shanghai (2016). Courtesy of the artist.

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Courtesy of the artist.

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Mika Rottenberg
Sneeze
2012

17.05.24

Mika Rottenberg

Inspired by Thomas Edison’s motion study Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894), one of the first films ever made, the film Sneeze shows three men with exaggerated, sculpted noses who are seemingly unable to stop sneezing. As their sneezes intensify in strength, live rabbits and chunks of meat begin to appear as if sneezed out of the men’s noses. Seated in a sparsely-furnished environment, the men seem to be under observation. The film focuses on the intense physicality of the sneeze, on how it builds up through bodily tension and is finally released, only for the cycle of tension followed by release to begin again. As the men expel animals, meat and light bulbs, they appear more than anything else to be embarrassed by their lack of control. Their comically over-sized noses and painted toenails appear incongruous with their business suits and their body hair. These men are presented as hapless victims of their own bodies. By showing vulnerability connected to the body itself and to its intimate processes, they enter a territory that has traditionally been ascribed to women. The scraping of nails against the floor, the loud sneezes and the thud of each rabbit or chunk of meat as it lands on the table echo in our own bodies as we watch and listen. Just as these men are trapped within a cycle of compulsion, we get drawn into their struggle with the physical force and their lack of control over their bodies.

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Mika Rottenberg, Sneeze, 2012

Single-channel video installation, color, sound; 3:02 min.

Dimensions variable

Production credits

Cinematography: Mahdi Lepart

Cast: Édouard Achache, Gabriel de Pimodan, Gaetano Lucido

Makeup artist: Jérôme Jardin

Sound design and mixing: Ronen Nagel and Nati Taub (Sound Around Studios)

Producer: Mitra Hekmat

Oliver Payne
A Brief History of Slime
2022

10.05.24

Oliver Payne

A Brief History of Slime, a movie directed by Oliver Payne, explores the links between slime, thrash metal, and the Cold War. The storyline follows a teenager from California as they pose a series of inquiries to an AI system. Initially shown in a specially designed pizza box, the film was later released online for free.

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Pauline Ghersi
Les Radins (Cheapskates)
2021

03.05.24

Pauline Ghersi

Brice, Jules, and Célio are three frugal roommates named after French men's clothing stores. Brice is extremely tightfisted and can't stand the idea of spending any money. Jules hides his thrifty nature under the guise of eco-consciousness, while Célio is always on the lookout for a good bargain. Their interactions are purely factual and reveal significant power dynamics, fraught with issues of territory, masculinity, and knowledge. Each one occupies a specific space in the apartment, reflecting his own ego, attitude towards spending, and hierarchical position in the shared flat. Célio, the quick spender, has the bedroom; Jules, the penny-pincher, has the sofa; and Brice, the stingiest of them all, sleeps in the hallway. This precarious material and emotional situation frustrates the characters, leading them to exhibit behaviors bordering on madness. The apartment soon becomes a chaotic space, where the expectation of good humor, shared meals, and drinks turns into a nightmare. Minor details become insurmountable, and the characters fluctuate between comedy and tragedy, portraying an absurd social drama. The film revolves around a system of debt. It all starts when Célio, thinking he's getting a good deal, realizes he's lost two euros. Enraged, he asks Jules to lend him the money. Irritated by the loss of his money, Jules takes two euros from Brice. Although Brice notices this, he doesn't have the courage to ask Jules to repay him and is gradually consumed by deprivation and fixation. We'll witness how these three roommates navigate their way through this infernal cycle of debt.

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Eva Egermann & Cordula Thym
Chirping Laughter
Excerpt from
C-TV (If I Tell You I Like You…)
2023

26.04.24

Eva Egermann & Cordula Thym

Eva Egermann and Cordula Thym’s (unfortunately) fictitious TV show “C-TV (If I Tell You I Like You …)” challenges the tyranny of a heteronormative and ableist society: radical, critical of representation, humorous, and barrier-free.

In “Chirping Laughter,” an excerpt from their work,” Iris Kopera appears with a bordeaux-red dress and a microphone in front of a 3D environment of an oversized open shell. In the indentation of the upper shell, a person on the drums and one with an electric guitar. The person on the drums is wearing fluffy floppy ears and a black suit. Their hair is grayish-blond and short. The person on the electric guitar is wearing red sunglasses and red plush ears. “Ha-ha-ha.” Dozens of dark red open mouths line the top half of the shell. Iris opens her eyes wide. Two rose petals are pinned to her wide cleavage. Glitter sticks to the tongues of the open mouths. Iris dances around in a circle. The person on the drums is wearing dark 1950s sunglasses and a red shirt under their suit. The lips of the person on the electric guitar are painted red. They are also wearing a black suit. Dark glitter flies through the picture. On the left edge is the lettering in dark red: C-TV. Iris’s eyes shine, she wears black eye makeup. Her mascara is slightly smudged. She is radiant.

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Excerpt from “C-TV (If I Tell You I Like You …)”

written, directed and produced by Eva Egermann & Cordula Thym

(2023, 30?)

“Chirping Laughter”

written and interpreted by Iris Kopera

Guitar: Hicran Ergen

Drums: Cordula Thym

Directors of photography

Magdalena Fischer

Caroline Bobek

Light

Caroline Bobek

Magdalena Fischer

Sound recording

Sophie Wasserburger

Costume & makeup

Berivan Sayici

Montage, open captions

Cordula Thym

Eva Egermann

Color grading

Caroline Bobek

Sound design and mixing

Lenja Gathmann

3D visualization

Rebecca Merlic

Compositing

Johanna Kirsch

Translation

Erika Doucette

Sam Osborn

C-TV distribution

Sixpackfilm

Produced with the support of the Federal Ministry for Art, Culture, Public Service and Sport as part of the funding program “Pixel, Bytes + Film” in cooperation with ORF III.

Additional funding: City of Vienna & Austrian Students’ Union

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Lulo Demarco
La Storys de Harry
2017

19.04.24

Lulo Demarco

Harry, a face filter with big dreams of making it as an artist, uses his Instagram stories to showcase his teenage efforts to save up for a photography camera.

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Shachar Freddy Kislev
Bald Mollusca
2011

15.04.24

Shachar Freddy Kislev

The three installations showcased here are kinetic sculptures created between 2009 and 2013. One features a large, hyper-realistic larva struggling to swallow a big white ball; another displays a conch sitting on a shrine above a dark pool of water, with a wiggly and slimy abstract interior; and the third presents a 360-degree head of hair being tended by three robots endlessly brushing, combing, and making a mess. Although these works were never displayed together, their juxtaposition makes sense, as does their grouping under the theme of "SLIME": they all evoke a particular quality, a kind of amusing and uncomfortable creepiness. There is an exceptional collection of old Japanese haiku about sea cucumbers, lovingly compiled by Robin D. Gill. Some of the chapter headings from this collection seem to capture the spirit of the works brought together for "SLIME." This list ingeniously puts into delicate words what the works brought here try to evoke: something silly yet spooky, off-putting but charming, uncanny with a lowercase u, something that makes you laugh but can gently haunt your dreams. These are all characteristics to be found in slime, with its gooeyness, sensuality, formlessness, and fun. The works brought here share an "oddly satisfying" quality with slime and with sea cucumbers for which there are still no clearly defined words. Shachar Freddy Kislev has run an art school in recent years and has developed an instinctive habit of coming up with potentially beautiful courses or workshops. Looking back at these works and reading the list of sea-cucumber poems quoted above, several possible courses come to mind: "The Ugly," "Slow Kinetics," "The Featureless," "Dioramas," "Art-Horror," "Sci-Fi Props," "Uncanny," or simply "Slime." It is worth noting that these works played particularly well with children, and that Shachar Freddy Kislev used to define his practice as conceptual art for kids. When exhibiting the larva, he used to give talks to groups of children. Looking at the larva, one kid asked him: "Is that a cat?" "Yes," he confirmed. "Then why doesn't it look like a cat?" the kid replied. The k?an makes for a fitting conclusion to this note.

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Shachar Freddy Kislev
Larva Eating a Ball
2013

15.04.24

Shachar Freddy Kislev

The three installations showcased here are kinetic artworks created between 2009 and 2013. One features a large, hyper-realistic larva struggling to swallow a big white ball; another displays a conch on a shrine above a dark pool of water, with a wiggly and slimy abstract interior; and the third presents a 360-degree head of hair tended by three robots endlessly brushing, combing, and making a mess. Although these works were never displayed together, their combination makes sense, as does their grouping under the theme of "SLIME": they all evoke a specific quality, a kind of amusing and uncomfortable creepiness. There is an exceptional collection of old Japanese haiku about sea cucumbers, lovingly compiled by Robin D. Gill: hundreds of short poems about "sea slugs" grouped by themes. Some of the chapter headings from this collection seem to capture the spirit of the works brought together for "SLIME": - "the featureless (lots of nots)" - "the do-nothing (ancient, still-to-be)" - "the agnostic (moderate, unpatriotic)" - "the scatological" - "the helpless (trusting, drifting)" - "the meek (shy, weak, hiding)" - "the ugly (disgustingly odd, embarrassing yet homely and blessed)" - "the just-so" - "the slippery (slimy, hard to pinch)" - "the silent (up-tight, precious)" - "the stuporous (sleepy, mumbling, snoring)" This list delicately puts into words what the works brought here try to evoke: something silly yet spooky, off-putting but charming, uncanny with a lowercase u, and something that can gently haunt your dreams. These are all characteristics found in slime, with its gooeyness, sensuality, formlessness, and fun. The works share an "oddly satisfying" quality with slime and sea cucumbers for which there are still no clearly defined words: it is something like the old "uncanny," but more pitiful, ridiculous, and alluring. The category of "art-horror" films is also useful; the ambition has very little to do with social commentary and much more with evoking a feeling that is more nuanced and ambiguous than straightforward horror. In that sense, the works collected here—and perhaps the phenomenon of slime—may be seen as small art-horror movies. Shachar Freddy Kislev has been running an art school in recent years and has developed an instinctive habit of coming up with potentially beautiful courses or workshops. Looking back at these works and reading the list of sea-cucumber poems quoted above, several possible courses come to mind: "The Ugly," "Slow Kinetics," "The Featureless," "Dioramas," "Art-Horror," "Sci-Fi Props," "Uncanny," or simply "Slime." It is worth noting that these works resonated particularly well with children, and Shachar Freddy Kislev used to define his practice as conceptual art for kids. When exhibiting the larva, he used to give talks to groups of children. One kid asked him: “Is that a cat?” “Yes,” he confirmed. “Then why doesn’t it look like a cat?” the kid replied. This interaction serves as a fitting conclusion to this note.

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Shachar Freddy Kislev
Death and the Maiden
2009

15.04.24

Shachar Freddy Kislev

The three installations showcased here are kinetic artworks created between 2009 and 2013. They include a large, hyper-realistic larva struggling to swallow a big white ball, a conch sitting on a shrine above a dark pool of water with a wiggly abstract interior, and a 360-degree head of hair tended by three robots endlessly brushing, combing, and making a mess. Although these works were never displayed together, their combination makes sense under the theme of "SLIME," as they all evoke a peculiar quality of amusing and uncomfortable creepiness. There is an exceptional collection of old Japanese haiku about sea cucumbers, lovingly grouped by themes. Some of the chapter headings capture the spirit of the works brought together for "SLIME," ingeniously putting into delicate words what the artworks try to evoke: something silly yet spooky, off-putting but charming, and uncanny with a lowercase u. The works share an "oddly satisfying" quality with slime and sea cucumbers, evoking feelings that are more nuanced and ambiguous than straightforward horror. Shachar Freddy Kislev has run an art school in recent years and has developed potential courses or workshops inspired by these works, such as "The Ugly," "Slow Kinetics," "Dioramas," "Art-Horror," "Sci-Fi Props," "Uncanny," or simply "Slime." It's worth noting that these works resonated particularly well with children, aligning with Kislev's practice of conceptual art for kids. When exhibiting the larva, he used to give talks to groups of children. One kid asked him if it was a cat, to which he confirmed, leading to the child questioning why it didn't look like a cat. This interaction serves as a fitting conclusion to this note.

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Ana Teixeira Pinto
Capitalism with a Transhuman Face
18.02.2024

12.04.24

Ana Teixeira Pinto

The portrayal of artificial intelligence in literature and film has long been intertwined with themes of whiteness, masculinity, and the pursuit of immortality. Ana Teixeira Pinto explores how AI represents another stage in the gendering of technology and the proliferation of evolutionary fantasies.

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Ana Teixeira Pinto is a writer and cultural theorist based in Berlin. She is a professor at the Braunschweig University of Art and a theory tutor at the Dutch Art Institute. She is the editor of a book series on the antipolitical turn, published by Sternberg Press.

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Mónica Heller
From Satellite Consciousness to Satellite Knowledge
2019

05.04.24

Mónica Heller's 3D animations seem to emerge from Pixar's pool of rejected animations. Unfinished faces reveal exposed teeth and gums, while black-eyed humanoids sit beside giant, mouse-like furries, bunnies and bears. A pig in a museum teaches the meaning of clothes to a group of furries. A duck stares at a woman shaving while looking at the mirror. We see her washing her hands and knees repeatedly. What is the meaning of that huge, terrifying smile? A group of flies sing along with a skinless hand. What is the meaning of all this? These fables have no moral message. Is there any message? It is unclear, it moves on the uncertain surface of an incomprehensible algorithm. There is a world, however, it is nothing but a sphere.

“From Satellite Consciousness to Satellite Knowledge” is a 3D animated film starring a group of humanized animal characters (monkeys, rabbits, bears, and mice) that migrate while being transported inside a white swan. The work unfolds through historical and architectural references to the building complex "Hotel de los Inmigrantes" and the port area in Buenos Aires, Argentina, creating a set of mythical stories where temporal and cultural references are intertwined and subverted. Echoes of these references guide the plot, articulated through characters from a child’s world. The narrative is condensed through the juxtaposition of fragments, where these fabled characters take on human roles related to sociability and work, promoting simulated labor and propitiating symbolic readings in constant displacement.

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Mónica Heller
The Skin is a Fruit That Peels by Itself
2021

05.04.24

Mónica Heller's 3D animations appear to come from a rejected batch of Pixar animations. Unfinished faces reveal teeth and gums, while black-eyed humanoids sit next to giant, mouse-like furries, bunnies, and bears. A pig in a museum teaches furries about the meaning of clothes. A duck watches a woman shave while looking in the mirror. We see her repeatedly washing her hands and knees. What's the significance of that huge, terrifying smile? A group of flies sings with a skinless hand. What does it all mean? These fables have no moral lesson. Is there any message at all? It's unclear, floating on the uncertain surface of an incomprehensible algorithm. There is a world, but it's just a sphere. "The Skin is a Fruit That Peels by Itself" is a 3D animation video consisting of four episodes. This piece holds a hidden thesis on how we interpret information and events related to life, death, and the deterioration of the body and mind through language and moods filled with meaning. Unconscious pathways are revealed as we attempt to decode the surfaces of 3D animation and CGI models, along with screenshots from social networks, objects, and drawings, delving into the deep structures underlying our understanding of meaning.

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HaYoung
Pisscène
2019

29.03.24

HaYoung

The "Pisscène" depicts a chat between a serpent and a flutterby attempting to exchange a Wi-Fi passcode during their updates; each being a variation of the other. While the serpent grows its tongues and sheds its skin due to its genetic lineage, the flutterby wets itself in a tiny blow-up pool. Is it O or 0? Capital or lowercase? Do they sense something or sense like something? It's just on the tip of my tongues. This tale is brimming with assorted layers of misunderstandings surrounding this nonsensical code evolving into the alphabet of their interactions and connections.

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Liat Berdugo
Internet Aerobics
2020

22.03.24

Liat Berdugo

"Online Fitness" is a 20-minute workout routine inspired by the Internet. It incorporates various aspects of online life, with data packets zipping through wifi networks, routers, data centers, and fiber optic cables -- often at different speeds due to the absence of net neutrality laws. In "Online Fitness," participants use long, blue ethernet cables as props, and the color of opportunity online -- the unclicked hyperlinks -- is celebrated as hyperlink blue. This workout routine encourages participants to embody internet infrastructure while contemplating and moving through the very essence of the Internet itself.

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Liat Berdugo
The Original Zoom
2012

22.03.24

Liat Berdugo

"The Zoom Series" is a part of a collection that reimagines the hand movements used on digital devices. These technologies are teaching us new ways to move our bodies. "The Original Zoom" is a piece from this series that focuses solely on these movements, without the digital device in sight. Filmed in 2012 using a Macbook Pro's iSight camera, it showcases the artist's self-enlargement as she moves closer to the camera. Intimacy is all about closeness, and our bodies have various ways of getting closer, while digital technology mainly relies on zooming. The video concludes with an intimate, close-up view of the face.

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Liat Berdugo
Genius Red
2012

22.03.24

Liat Berdugo

Intimate connections involve closeness and proximity, both figuratively and literally. The "Zoom Series" delves into the act of getting closer through technology, exploring the idea of enlarging and touching devices as a form of intimacy. "Genius Red" is a part of this series, capturing a clandestine Genius Appointment where the artist learns how to zoom, pan, and double click from the Apple Geniuses. The video documents their gestures and attempts to explain these actions, ultimately highlighting the effort to make technology more accessible and user-friendly.

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Alison Nguyen
Dessert-Disaster
2017-2018

15.03.24

Alison Nguyen

"Dessert-Disaster" is a found footage piece that juxtaposes the visual style of dessert ads with the dramatic imagery of disaster coverage. The audio, sourced from amateur videos of demolitions, disasters, and storms, captures the conflicting impulses of modern society: the craving for destruction and excitement, the inability to turn away, and the mix of anxiety and thrill.

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Ruth Patir
Marry Fuck Kill
2019

08.03.24

Ruth Patir

The documentary "Marry Fuck Kill" takes a fresh look at ancient fertility goddesses, portraying them as real women. The film delves into the complexities of how women have been historically represented, challenging the passive yet persistent stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding them. In creating the film, Patir drew inspiration from technologies commonly used in video games and superhero movies. She captured her own and her mother's movements in space, then applied them to animated depictions of ancient deities from the time of the Israelites' first temple (528 BC), bringing these clay sculptures to life digitally. This act of "breathing life" into these figures, which have been depicted holding their breasts for millennia, serves to free them from centuries of stagnation. Additionally, the use of animation technology, combined with the candid and intimate dialogue between mother and daughter, provides a platform for diverse feminist perspectives to intersect.

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SLIME@Secession

01.03.24

SLIME@Secession

"SLIME@Secession" provides insights into the on-site setting, which was on view at the Secession from 16 to 18 February 2024 as part of the SLIME exhibition. This setting featured works by Albrecht Dürer, Francesco Finizio, Ulrich Formann, Elisa Giardina Papa, and Sophia Stolz.

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List of works:

Albrecht Dürer
Enlarged "Ratio" detail from: The Triumphal Chariot of Maximilian I
1518–1522
Vinyl

Francesco Finizio
Tickle Drown Thing
2024
Mixed media
Courtesy of the artist

Ulrich Formann
Echo-System
2024
Paper Stencils
Courtesy of the artist

Elisa Giardina Papa
Leaking Subjects and Bounding Boxes: On Training AI
2022
Euro-pallet, 243 copies of the book: Leaking Subjects and Bounding Boxes: On Training AI
Courtesy of the artist, Sorry Press & Galerie Tanja Wagner

Sophia Stolz
Cakes in the shape Franz West's Telefonat (Phone Call), 1997
Courtesy of the artist and Franz West Privatstiftung
2024

Video by Max Reinhold

Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead. Season 2, Episode 4
2022

23.02.24

Liv Schulman

The horror film is being created by two movie producers, an artist, and an unemployed actor. It features a group of neighbors who take shelter in their building's basement due to their passion for homebrewing and Tupperware, where they accidentally bring a monster to life. This DIY miniseries, with its homemade costumes and cardboard sets, exemplifies entrepreneurial spirit. During work meetings, the male fantasy of ideal consumption leads to the creation of a giant leech that seduces the women and challenges the men's sexuality. Throughout this season, the characters grapple with identity crises, job changes, procrastination, and entropy, posing the existential question of how to continue existing in an era of extreme discomfort and alternative therapies. This episode marks the point where the film's fiction blurs with reality.

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Season 2, Episode 4: 11:11 min

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Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead. Season 2, Episode 3
2022

23.02.24

Liv Schulman

A group of filmmakers, an artist, and an actor without a job are collaborating on a horror movie. The story revolves around neighbors who gather in their building's basement to indulge in homebrewing and Tupperware, inadvertently bringing a monster to life. This DIY project features homemade costumes and a cardboard set, showcasing their entrepreneurial spirit. During their brainstorming sessions, the male desire for perfection leads to the creation of a giant leech that seduces the women and challenges the men's sexuality. Throughout this season, the characters grapple with identity crises, job changes, procrastination, and entropy, posing the question of how to navigate this era of discomfort and alternative therapies. This episode delves into past trauma, transformation, and character development as the characters embark on a journey of self-discovery.

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Season 2, Episode 3: 15:26 min

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Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead. Season 2, Episode 2
2022

23.02.24

Liv Schulman

A group of filmmakers, an artist, and an out-of-work actor are collaborating on a horror movie. The story revolves around a bunch of neighbors who gather in their building's basement to indulge in homebrewing and Tupperware, inadvertently bringing a monster to life. This DIY miniseries, complete with homemade costumes and cardboard sets, is a prime example of their entrepreneurial spirit. During their work and brainstorming sessions, the male desire for perfection leads to the creation of a giant leech that seduces the women and challenges the men's sexuality. The characters in this season are grappling with an identity crisis, dealing with career changes, procrastination, and entropy. They're faced with the existential question of how to continue existing in a time of extreme discomfort and alternative therapies. This episode delves into trauma, memories, flashbacks within flashbacks, and career transitions. What's new in the world of flexible job opportunities?

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Season 2, Episode 2: 15:59 min

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Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead. Season 2, Episode 1
2022

23.02.24

Liv Schulman

The horror film is being made by two movie producers, an artist, and an unemployed actor. The story revolves around a group of neighbors who gather in the basement of their building to indulge in homebrewing and Tupperware, inadvertently bringing a monster to life. The miniseries itself is a prime example of DIY entrepreneurialism, with its homemade costumes and cardboard set. During work and brainstorming sessions, the male fantasy of perfect consumption becomes a recurring theme. In the second season, the characters are grappling with an identity crisis. Job changes, procrastination, and entropy form the basis of an existential question: how can one continue to exist in this era of extreme discomfort and alternative therapies? The first episode sees the entire team relocating to a parking lot to begin filming the infamous leech movie.

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Season 2, Episode 1: 22:26 min

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Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead.
Season 1, Episode 4
2020

16.02.24

Liv Schulman

Two film producers, an artist, and an unemployed actor are making a horror film. Its protagonists are a group of neighbours who retreat to the basement of their building out of sheer enthusiasm for homebrewing and Tupperware, where they bring a monster to life. With its cardboard set and its home-made costumes, this miniseries, is itself an example of such DIY entrepreneurialism. In work and brainstorming meetings, the male fantasy of perfect consumption gives rise to a giant leech who seduces the women and forces the men to question their sexuality. In this last episode of first season, as the troupe begins to put the script to the test, they end up meeting their demise because of it.

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Season 1, Episode 4: 18:49 min.

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Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead.
Season 1, Episode 3
2020

16.02.24

Liv Schulman

Two movie producers, an artist, and an unemployed actor are collaborating on a horror film. The story follows a group of neighbors who gather in the basement of their building to indulge in homebrewing and Tupperware, inadvertently bringing a monster to life. This DIY miniseries, complete with homemade costumes and cardboard sets, exemplifies their entrepreneurial spirit. During work and brainstorming sessions, the male desire for perfection leads to the creation of a giant leech that seduces the women and challenges the men's sexuality. This episode delves into internalized homophobia, fear, insults in alphabetical order, and the introduction of a guest star.

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Season 1, Episode 3: 13:29 min

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Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead.
Season 1, Episode 2
2020

16.02.24

Liv Schulman

A group of neighbors in a basement, brewing and using Tupperware, accidentally bring a monster to life in their homemade horror film. The DIY spirit is evident in the cardboard sets and homemade costumes. The male fantasy of perfect consumption leads to a giant leech seducing women and challenging men's sexuality. This episode explores motherhood, resistance, family expectations, toxic masculinity, slime, flashbacks, and trauma.

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Season 1, Episode 2: 16:59 min

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Liv Schulman
Brown, yellow, white and dead.
Season 1, Episode 1
2020

16.02.24

Liv Schulman

Two film producers, an artist, and an unemployed actor are making a horror film. Its protagonists are a group of neighbours who retreat to the basement of their building out of sheer enthusiasm for homebrewing and Tupperware, where they bring a monster to life. With its cardboard set and its home-made costumes, this miniseries, is itself an example of such DIY entrepreneurialism. In work and brainstorming meetings, the male fantasy of perfect consumption gives rise to a giant leech who seduces the women and forces the men to question their sexuality.

In the first episode, a pet, a home made movie, an amateur production company and some cats are trying to put together a pitch in order to make a movie.

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Season 1, Episode 1: 22:10 min

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