Beyond the frame: Lacuna is to be filled

About

Beyond The Frame: Lacuna Is To Be Filled brings together works that delve into the psychological dimensions of photography, unravelling both the presented imagery and the void of meaning lurking within representation itself. Playing the concept of the void – that which exists beyond immediate perception, ineffable, and often elusive. Drawing upon Susan Sontag's seminal work On Photography, the exhibition challenges viewers to contemplate the inherent nature of representation and the inherent limitations of visual language. Sontag posits that photography, in freezing moments in time, serves as a conduit to the intangible, offering fleeting glimpses into the abyss that underlies our visual narratives. Moreover, Beyond The Frame: Lacuna Is To Be Filled confronts existential questions surrounding the temporality of photographs and their metaphorical and literal demise. Through innovative artistic interventions, such as creating ephemeral images through photosynthesis-based living cress prints destined to fade within days or transforming family archives into ashes, the exhibition prompts reflection on the transience of images and the inevitable passage of time. The exhibition will feature the works of 8 international female artists, namely Karolina Maria Dudek, Yuhong Gan, Uta Genilke, Melanie Issaka, Charlotte Joseph, Almudena Romero, Eva Stenram, Sonja Trabandt. From small-scale installations that engulf viewers in immersive environments to partly decomposed framed prints artists blur the lines between photography and sculpture. The show explores absence, ambiguity, existential questioning, and the elusive nature of meaning and perception. For instance, Melanie Issaka's large textual prints, partially submerged in water, delve into the intricate complexities of identity, particularly where race and gender intersect. Meanwhile, Karolina Maria Dudek's prints, laid amidst ashes on soil, symbolise an act of erasure, inviting contemplation on the dissolution of past identities. Yuhong Gan challenges conventional perceptions of human exteriors by crafting porcelain and other materials into seemingly exquisite objects that upon closer inspection reveal unsettling truths about the nature of human gaze. Sonja Trabandt's vibrant prints, portraying the mesmerising realm of fire, merge dynamic visuals with the primal energy of combustion, evoking a sense of explosive vitality. Eva Stenram exhibits a scanned image of the doorframe leading into her bedroom—a space associated with sleep and dreams. It invokes the idea of the threshold as a transition from one state or time to another; in its flattening-out it also becomes a physical barrier or border within the exhibition itself. Almudena Romero's expansive family portrait challenges notions of temporality and the very essence of photography as a performative medium for self-reflection and expression. Charlotta Joseph's depiction of laundry offers a deeply personal glimpse into her domestic environment and lived experiences. Uta Genilke brings to life her dreams in a side-specific installation, written down months after the tragic death of her beloved partner.