Melanie Gilligan/Veronika Veit
LIFE IN PIECES

Even though rooted in reality, there is a sense of irritation about their work: Veronika Veit’s sculptures and Melanie Gilligan’s five-piece drama POPULAR UNREST (2010), which – based on an idea by Anna Schneider – are presented at Esther Donatz Gallery, show fragments of real life, but still evoke a feeling of disconcertment. The artists tell stories – LIFE IN PIECES – thereby approaching the subject of narration in different ways. Veronika Veit and Melanie Gilligan use images and motifs that are deep-seated both in our consciousness and in the media. What all of the exhibited works have in common, is their reference to American drama and crime series standing out by their ambition to be as authentic as possible.

In her video work POPULAR UNREST Melanie Gilligan (*1979 in Toronto) portrays a capital-driven society that is being controlled, evaluated and regulated by a computer system called “The Spirit”. A series of murders overshadows the world ruled by profit and economic gain only: “The Spirit is money!”

Besides David Cronenberg’s “Body Horror”, Melanie Gilligan’s apocalyptic vision of the future recalls TV productions, such as CSI, DEXTER and BONES, in terms of content and visual aesthetics. Like the four-piece mini drama CRISIS IN THE CREDIT SYSTEM (2008), that is also concerned with political and economic topics, the video work presented at Esther Donatz Gallery can be accessed at http://popularunrest.org/ on the internet. Funded by Chisenhale Gallery, London, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, Banff Center, Alberta, Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, Galleria Franco Soffiantino, Torino, Arts Council England, and Outset, POPULAR UNREST received the Illy Present Future Award at Artissima, Torino.

In addition to directing and editing POPULAR UNREST, Melanie Gilligan wrote the screenplay for it as well. Writing is not only a central key to her art that spans a variety of media; Melanie Gilligan has regularly published articles in art magazines, such as Texte zur Kunst, Mute Magazine, and Artforum. Her works have been shown in renowned institutions – for example, at Tate Britain, Serpentine Gallery, Hayward Gallery, London, Transmission Gallery, Glasgow, or – in 2012 – at De Appel, Amsterdam, and at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki.

Dealing with the decline of American society in a quagmire of violence, drugs, crime, and social issues, Veronika Veit (*1968 in Munich) transfers singular moments from series like THE WIRE into “three-dimensional stills”. Although these well-researched television series reflect an American reality and claim a high degree of authenticity, the sculptor does not seek a hyperrealistic reproduction in her small and large-sized scenarios; her characters are neither modeled down to the last detail nor are they distinguished by color. The monochrome green of the styrodur rather makes them appear alienated. Just as television characters and their personal developments can be followed week by week, Veronika Veit’s sculptures can be watched at close range. However, the viewer remains a distant observer. Isolated from context, readable and audible text fragments, like „Yeah motherfucker – yeah nigger – fuck this – what are you doing man?“, reinforce this impression.

Veronika Veit, who received the Bavarian State Award of the Arts in 2006, has extensively exhibited her works in Germany and abroad – in 2012 at Hamburger Kunsthalle, Verein für Original-Radierung, Munich, Museum of Contemporary Art of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and Palais d’Iéna, Paris, among others. Furthermore, Kunstverein Konstanz presented a solo show of her work. Besides exhibitions in numerous art associations (Kunstvereine), Veronika Veit’s sculptures have been on display at Stadtgalerie Saarbrücken, Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, museum franz gertsch, Burgdorf, and Haus der Kunst, Munich.

Contact

Esther Donatz
esther(at)galeriedonatz.de

Nadine Seligmann
nadine(at)galeriedonatz.de

Phone: +49 89 70 07 62 00