"Fiona Tan | 80 Days" investigates the significance of historical and contemporary photography as a possibility for archiving the world. In her black and white film installation "Countenance" she presents over 200 full-length portraits of people living in Berlin, all arranged according to occupational categories. Since the film shows the people standing still, the film breathes the same aesthetic as a row of photographs. This black and white film is a deliberate reference to August Sander's folio work "Man of the 20th Century". Fiona Tan transmutes this encyclopaedic approach into a sociocultural study that directly involves the observer - instead of letting them remain looking in on the world objectively from outside. Here the psychological fascination and allure that human portraits have exerted since time immemorial are heightened. Our cinematic counterpart seems to be responding to us through the way he or she blinks, prompting a reaction from us and drawing us in to a communication. "Countenance" presents moreover a sociological study of the dwellers in a city that is marked by the way East and West have grown together.
Fiona Tan | 80 Days
The exhibition "Fiona Tan | 80 Days" casts a light on the portrait - a characteristic theme in Tan's artistic production - while also providing the opportunity for a concentrated look at the artist's latest photo, film, and video works.