Mixed reality refers to environments or systems that blend a person's natural perception with an artificial one. At first, this sounds like science fiction. But if we look at the term less technically, it quickly becomes clear how much we already live with blended realities today. The media, the immense flood of information from the internet and, not least, social networks put our sense of what is real to the test almost every day.
Nothing Is What It Seems
The exhibition Mixed Reality brings together three artists who engage with these blended realities, questioning beauty, aesthetics and the way they are perceived in our society. Fin DAC, who has been part of our programme since 2012, presents new works. We are also delighted to introduce SKIO and Vermibus, two more exciting positions, at our gallery for the first time.
Fin DAC's collages show literally "torn" female protagonists, recombining different versions of what appears to be the same image. In doing so, he challenges sexual stereotypes and colonially shaped perceptions. SKIO observes an everyday life that is becoming increasingly virtual through the growing dominance of social media. In his paintings, he examines the uniformity that society imposes on the individual and the standards of beauty imposed on women in particular. Vermibus, too, addresses beauty ideals shaped by society and the media. He rehumanises his previously depersonalised models by literally dissolving them, delivering a sharp critique of the advertising and fashion industries.
On show are collages, paintings and analogue-manipulated photographs.
Fin DAC
In his rapidly evolving career as an urban artist, Irish artist Fin DAC has perfected a highly distinctive visual language that unites elements of contemporary art and urban art. He calls it "Urban Aesthetics". Self-taught and a nonconformist, he draws on influences ranging from dark graphic novels to the works of Francis Bacon and Aubrey Beardsley. In little more than a decade, this style has brought him a remarkably successful career: his originals and editions are highly sought after today, and he has a loyal following of collectors worldwide.
In his works, Fin DAC explores female emancipation and empowerment, as well as the reorientation of the male, colonially shaped gaze on women of other cultures. He mostly paints Eurasian women, whom he stages in traditional and ceremonial dress. His interest, however, is neither superficial nor thoughtless. Fin DAC reframes the gender-specific and cultural stereotypes that surround these women, creating a narrative that celebrates their sensuality with sensitivity rather than appropriation.
In his murals, the women are often large and imposing. They claim control over their urban surroundings, yet remain feminine, with classically delicate features: powerful and vulnerable, aesthetic and intellectual, physical and emotional. Although his murals can be found all over the world, Fin DAC remains an outsider in the street art scene, preferring to follow his own path with personal projects.
SKIO
In his new series Human in the City, SKIO questions the situation of the individual in a modern world and its oppressive anonymity. It is said that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. SKIO deliberately omits them in his paintings, thereby heightening the sense of anonymity. The very absence of eye contact opens up a space in which viewers cannot escape the tension inherent in the images.
SKIO places his figures in Surrealist-inspired architectures, questioning our place in the urban environment. He plays with the aesthetics and concepts of virtual worlds. Some of his protagonists appear to wear VR headsets, pointing to the growing virtual dimension of our lives.
SKIO painted his first murals in 1993 in the region around Nice. After a period of experimenting with typography and graffiti, he soon turned to more figurative imagery, initially inspired by pop and television culture. Today, he combines geometric and architectural forms with portraits that resemble sculptures. Inspired by the Bauhaus and Surrealism, he seeks a balance between complexity and minimalism, experimenting with geometry, anatomy and colour. His work has been shown at numerous exhibitions and festivals around the world, including in Paris, London, Mexico and Shanghai. In recent years, SKIO's work has undergone a remarkable development that has brought it to the attention of many urban art collectors.
Vermibus
Smoother skin, smaller bags under the eyes, larger eyes and fuller lips: "photoshopping" the human body towards supposed perfection has long become the norm in advertising. Beauty presents itself as a synonym for success and happiness. And although most people recognise that this premise is false, it continues to be socially accepted and followed by the vast majority. On social media, influencers adopt these advertising concepts and carry them to a broad audience that has begun to present itself as a brand or a product.
Berlin-based artist and activist Vermibus has developed a unique artistic process through which he questions contemporary ideals of beauty. His focus is the shift away from individual identity towards conformism. He attracted considerable attention when he began removing advertising posters from public space, altering them in his studio and then reinstalling them in the city. Public space is central to the message of his work.
Vermibus was born in 1987 in Palma de Mallorca, where he became involved in the local graffiti scene at an early age. In 2003, he moved to Madrid, discovered new painting techniques and began deconstructing advertising with stencils. Shortly afterwards, he worked as an illustrator and later as a photographer for various advertising agencies. At the end of 2010, he moved to Berlin and was immediately captivated by its vibrant street art scene. Soon after, he launched the project Unveiling Beauty, documented in 2015 by photographer Mark Rigney and filmmaker Xar Lee, which took his style to a new conceptual level. The project led to a series of public interventions during the Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris. With these interventions in the "Big Four", Vermibus set out to confront beauty cults at the very heart of their creation. Since then, his work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications. His distinctive visual language and radical conceptual approach have earned him international acclaim and an ever-growing base of collectors.
Fin DAC, SKIO, Vermibus – "Mixed Reality"
Exhibition
8 April – 13 May
Opening
8 April, 7 pm
Pretty Portal
Brunnenstraße 12
40223 Düsseldorf
