Born in 1979 (Germany), based in Reykjavík (Iceland).
“What I see is what I see is what I see,” stated American artist Donald Judd, defending a direct, non-interpretive approach to art.
But what do we see when we look at, for example, an IKEA table: a piece of furniture? Chipboard covered with plastic? A brand? A product of neoliberal capitalism? Are we even capable of seeing just a table, disregarding its means of production and distribution, its material components, or even the symbol that these iconic pieces of furniture have become? How can we detach ourselves from our cultural references when we approach the world around us?
In her sculptures, installations, and videos, Sabine A. Fischer attempts to dissect the systems of thought through which we perceive reality. With humor and tenderness, she draws on philosophy as much as mythology, fiction as much as science. In her experimental assemblages, intuition and mechanisms of association specific to dreams become a working methodology. What happens when matter (the raw, natural, original) dialogues with material (the manufactured, transformed)? Searching for the origins or an idealized essence of things, the artist compares registers, refines forms, imagines conversations, reproduces her childhood drawings... and yet, the presence of military tanks in these drawings leaves no doubt about the early impact of cultural, political, and symbolic contexts on human experience.
Sabine A. Fischer explores this reflection playfully, her thoughts materialising in artworks that refuse any form of authority. They simply propose a reversal of paradigms, a change of perspective.
Written by Isabelle Henrion.
A well-known saying describes as an idiot anyone who looks at the finger instead of marveling at the moon pointed out by the wise man. But is it really so foolish to examine that outstretched finger, and thus question the position – valued and often privileged – of the one who points the way, who holds authority? In a world rife with ideological tensions, information manipulation, and increasing technological mediation, isn't it healthy to take into account the entire system of knowledge production and dissemination? Not to be blinded by the seductive brilliance of the moon, but to question the motivations of those who guide our gaze?
The three artists brought together for this residency, Sabine Fischer (DE/IS), Valeria Limongi (IT), and Javier Gonzalez Pesce (CH), share this interest in the tools – technical, scientific, spiritual, and ideological – that shape our vision and our coexistence. They dissect how humans create meaning and place great importance on the role that sensations and experiences play in these processes of knowledge and understanding of the self and the world.
Written by Isabelle Henrion.