SELFIE
GROUP EXHIBITION
Thirteen artists question the phenomenon of selfie in the exhibition presented at MEKIC art gallery from
May 30 to July 14, 2015. Inspired as much by the generalization of this documenting practice, often viewed as purely narcissistic, as by recent studies aimed at understanding this particular obsession with self-observation and self-exposure, these artists approach the selfie from an artistic perspective, joining in the discussion of this new “twist” on photography, from initially being a mnemonic device, to now becoming a common means of communication in the digital age.
The participating artists reflect on what distinguishes a selfie taken with a cell phone camera and instantly shared on social networks, from the art of portraiture that, practiced through centuries by almost all major artists, often took the form of a true introspection exercise, touching the most intimate aspects of the self. By exploring the interplay of these two genres, the artists experiment with the form of expression offered by the tools, which enables self-representation while questioning the degree of theatrical performances that accompanies it.
Indeed, since photography, originally an artistic practice, has become globalised, this “art" can nowadays be considered as a mere exercise accessible to most, thus blurring the lines, and giving access to a pictorial realm where the creator of his own image portrays a character who, while being himself, is often dissimilar to him.
Whether using pencil, brush, photography or video, the twelve participating artists present a dynamic and personal work that combines their artistic preoccupations, their visual narration and their gaze on the outside world inundated by an overflow of our own images.
Opening: Friday May 29, 2015, from 6pm to 9pmArtists: Nazanin Afshar, Yassaman Ameri, Mina Hedayat, Maryam Izadifard, Hadi Jamali, Ronak Kordestani, Payam Mofidi, Nima Emrani, Parisa Rajabyan, Elham Rassmi, Bahar Taheri, Mehrnaz Tanbakoosaz,Dara NajmabadiMEKIC Art Gallery
4438, rue de la Roche, Montréal
Information: (514) 373 5777 info@mekic.ca