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phase 1
End of the Message
site specific installation
 


A selection of twelve artworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe-collection were put on display. These were original paintings and drawings made in Europe during the last decade of the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century ('nineties').


Within this setting, there was a telefax action. A roll of paper, four meter long, recording half an hour fax-modem communication, came out of the fax-machines. The typographic images printed on it read ëNO VALUEí, ëVALUE ONí and ëEND OF THE MESSAGEí.  
In addition, a few optical and electronic surveillance systems were in operation.


A convex mirror reflected the installation space. A video camera had the space under constant surveillance and displayed the recent situation on the monitor in the room. This video-link was used as security camera system and an exhibition period of one month was recorded. There was a warning sign in the room saying that a security camera was on.


This work is inspired by two paintings: Francesco Mazzola - Il Paramiganino's selfportrait made in front of the convex mirror from 1523 and Jan van Eyck's portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami with the detail of the convex mirror reflecting a room environment including the author itself. Any use of tele-communication in our time evokes the idea of the transparency of the 'objective' world.   
'End of the Message' is intended to follow in the footsteps of the mannerist tradition by using new as well as old tools, and artistic as well as technological procedures in order  to show one possible 'worldscape'.  
The visitors were an important and active part of the installation. And it did  no matter whether this proposed re-evaluation of the media was accepted or not. The electronic picture of the oneís individual body in this space was tele-presented by security camera, building up the virtual memory of the installation.  
  
Work realized in 1995 at the íObsessions: From Wunderkammer to Cyberspaceí exhibition in the Rijksmuseum Twenthe at the Foto Biennale Enschede, curated by Mr. Bas Vroege.