04 Nov Frieze London Week: Adrian Ghenie – The Fear of NOW
I was aware that the week of a major art fair in a city like London comes packed with other incredible opportunities to see art, so many Galleries open new exhibitions on this occasion, but what I couldn’t have foreseen was the amount of sheer luck I would have in my first ever Frieze London visit. And what I’m referencing here is the fact that I couldn’t properly do a research beforehand, between the nasty cold I caught and having to work overtime right before taking my holiday. I will chronicle my experience into several posts, and this first one you could consider to be taken based on a chronological order, although I’m not quite finished with the outline for the upcoming weeks yet.
I truly believe that what kept me going through our first full day in London, while carrying my parting gift with the Pediatrics rotation (tonsillitis), being on antibiotics, not even feeling my nose anymore (picture Rudolph, but only in a more dramatic bordeaux shade), was the vernissage that was going to take place in the evening. Up until that point, I have only seen Adrian Ghenie ‘s artworks printed in books or online. Going into Frieze week, there is that beacon of hope that maybe you can finally see some of the art you usually just admire in pictures. Learning that the Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery in London was opening a solo show featuring the Romanian artist’s new paintings and charcoal drawings was spectacular.
The Fear of Now exhibition addresses the inevitable consequences humanity is facing as a result of the ubiquitous presence of smartphones, laptops, tablets and all the other devices constantly appearing on the market. There is no denying their initial purpose was connectivity, which is one of the fundamental necessities for every individual, but perhaps it has gotten to a point where it’s impossible to disengage anymore? Although for me social media is the place where I could learn about contemporary art and meet people sharing the same interests from different parts of the world, I have always been acutely aware it comes at a cost. Did you ever try to do a social media cleanse or do you consider to be in control of your screen time? Sometimes a screen will be that support system in a setting you have social anxiety, or it is even essential in your line of work (take my back and forth running between the hospital floors for example, sometimes the biggest drama is the mobile data not working in some areas to send my colleagues photos of the medication list we need to write down or constantly calling to read out loud the blood test results while I’m in front of the computer and they are with in the ward with the patients etc.). Adrian Ghenie ‘s observations come from an outsider’s perspective, as he is resisting to have an online presence on the various apps that define the 21st century.
As you enter and make your way through the long corridor on the ground floor, you will find the charcoal drawings part of the exhibition. What’s special about the drawing technique is the fact that it takes place on a paper that has been primed for oil painting, thus allowing the artist to erase the charcoal and draw over, getting an effect similar to the aspect we can notice as well in his paintings. In using this approach, you can’t possibly think it’s just the right medium the artist managed to find for the studies leading up to the paintings – you see them as riveting works of art on their own.
It’s a privilege to see Study for “Studio Scene 2” 2, in charcoal and then enter the room featuring the Studio Scene 2 oil painting right after. For me, this functioned in an harmonious sequence- being able to observe the transfiguration our bodies are going through as a result of our dependence to the gadgets that now make up such a big portion of our daily routines, and then right after stepping into a whole new dimension, added by the use of colors in the pictorial representation.
The preoccupation with art historical images and the fascination with the events of twentieth century are present in Adrian Ghenie ‘s artistic practice. The exhibition features the artist’s portrayal of Andy Warhol’s Marilyns, possibly as a social commentary to their constant presence on social media decades later after their creation. When I was ten years old, I discovered the platform that would make me learn English and create friendships with people from all over the world in the process- Stardoll.com. It was this platform where I could buy clothes and furniture for my doll and what do you think was the first artwork I bought for my virtual walls? A hot pink version of Marilyn (come to think of it, it was only 4 stardollars, now I’m certain my doll owned just a print). This may be why when I finally saw a real silkscreen print by Warhol in that exact shade when I was in college, I just thought it was the most iconic moment! Interestingly enough, I had a period where I would just chase temporary exhibitions to see more versions of the Marilyn in different color palettes, but this never led me to research the actress’s career or life history- I was just enthralled with the image, and this serves as a testament to Andy Warhol’s genius.
Besides the charcoal representations, you will find six Marilyns on the left wall of the ground floor room. Judging by the artist’s depictions of this Warhol quintessential artwork, one can assume he was fascinated with the image, very much like the large amount of people and publications that continue to disseminate the multiple versions of Marilyns all across the world wide web. When I saw the oil paintings, I couldn’t help but think of the TV shows like Botched – it was the type of show I didn’t really enjoy, seeing so many people transfigured by plastic surgery gone wrong, but I couldn’t stop watching either, hoping for a better outcome as the star surgeons on the shows were trying to salvage various situations. What would have been like if Marilyn Monroe lived in the social media era- would she had used Facetune every time she would post a photo on Instagram or would she have been pressured into surgical procedures?
The remaining body of work of the exhibition features deformed figures, with twisted elements pointing towards the screens- their whole essence seems to be entrapped by the electronic devices. Their bodies are contorted towards the gadgets, which is unfortunately not far away from the ill posture most part of society is facing now because of them. Shades of blue are ever-present in the paintings, evoking the color of the aura people usually have when they are deeply invested in watching their screens.
There are certain elements which evoke the presence of the artist himself, in the form of self-portraits- the painting brushes, the Nike shoes, the Otto Dix art volume. I’ll go as far to say that even the white plastic chairs reference his life in the studio, as Romania has quite a history with these decor elements (I’m not saying they aren’t present in so many other parts of the world, but in the 90s and early 2000s I recall seeing them everywhere, I have written about this in one of my previous posts here). For some reason, the part that truly made me feel right at home in the center of London was seeing Studio Scene 1, where one leg of the chair is broken, such a familiar scene in ways my mind still can’t begin to unravel, I wonder how come there was a point in time when you would just see this situation in some yards and when did people finally started to part ways with their beloved damaged chairs.
Including recognizable logos of contemporary society such as Apple, Adidas, Nike, or even McDonalds takeaway wrappings in Figure with Remote Control is a compelling choice, certifying these scenes are versions of quotidian reality, but at the same time it’s including the symbols of these companies in art history- upon observing them, I had one of those moments where you can’t help but wonder what’s the world going to look like in 100 years. Figure with Remote Control was also one of the artworks I spent my most time admiring because of the magnificent technique the artist employed in painting the blue carpet. The character on the TV screen made me think of the artist’s representation of Marcel Duchamp in Duchamp’s Funeral I, I wonder what figure served as a reference for this artwork.
You’ll make your way up the stairs, and you will most likely become engrossed with the costs all this technology comes with and how it’s constantly altering in subtle but constant ways some important aspects such as our attention span, ability to interact in real life, and the ways we spend our spare time. Then, in the last room of the exhibition you’ll step into, comes yet another challenging question, in the form of The App. Besides the fact it’s an exquisite painting, with colors so magnificent I have seen only on few occasions in my life, it features two characters and the implications social networks have on a couple’s life.
Up until that point in my tour, I had only been thinking about me as an individual and the permutations this digital world brings to my core, but for some reason I had completely overlooked this ramification. If your online presence is slowly shaping your life, and the same goes for your partner, what are the prospects of your relationship for the future? I guess that’s one more legitimate fear of now and, besides the colors and the composition, starting this conversation is what makes The App a monumental painting.
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All photos taken by © Adrian Cojocaru
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