ART FAIR ARCHIVE 2OBSERVATIONS ON THE FRINGES OF THE ART WORLD
of the federal state of north rhine westphalia.
ART FAIR ARCHIVE 1
OBSERVATIONS ON THE FRINGES OF THE ART WORLD
The photo series titled MISSING from my ART FAIR ARCHIVE shows photographs that document life at art fairs around the world and
represent a certain longing and absence. A series that invites you to go on a
search on your own and ask yourself: what is missing when art fairs are
cancelled or postponed because of the pandemic?
For many years, as an artist
and photographer, I have been collecting observations on the fringes of the art
world with my camera. At art fairs in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Basel, Moscow, Miami
and the annual art academy exhibitions,
I am searching for traces. I am interested in the context in which art
is presented as well as the signs of human presence.
In times of lockdown, I am using my archival work to reflect on the current circumstances of the world. This conceptual approach is transformed into specific images. Within the creative process, I am fascinated by how a story emerges from the perceived detail.
In the context of art fairs, bright light and reflective surfaces determine the visual image of the art market. People we see only sporadically from behind and selected details, such as coffee mugs, a fair map or a side table full of laptops and papers give a nuanced idea of these places and at the same time cause a feeling of emptiness and lack of contact.
The thoughtfully composed square photographs in black and white focus on form and content. On closer inspection, the seemingly objective documenting imagery becomes a narrative with a penchant to the fragmentary. Picture elements are cropped and architectural elements block the open view into the room.
Erika Anna Schumacher 2021
Ausstellungsansicht
Galerie Coelner Zimmer
MISSING Serie 2020
Photograohy 30 x 30 cm
Hahnemühle FineArt Baryta Premium Print
wooden frame 40 x 40 cm
with spacer + passe-partout
glazing Artglas UV70 museum glass
limited edition 5+1AP