“BASTARDS (NEVERLAND)” is the 2nd solo exhibition by Julian-Jakob Kneer at Shore Gallery. The artist is premiering a new series of wall is effective, drawing on themes proven all through his practice.
7 monochrome printed silver mirrors are framed in galvanized aluminum and hung in a very simple grid. Each and every 1 functions a layered collage of a few seemingly random movie titles.
Under the polished surfaces, “BASTARDS (NEVERLAND)” so proves a murky basin of pop culture references that is just about too laden with affiliation to wade by at ease.
By crossbreeding ready-created opposing narratives, Kneer’s “BASTARDS” riff on themes of morality and the narcissistic self. In the reflection of the shimmering muck, stars are born, identities are lost, witches are burned by barbies, and ecstasy seamlessly blends into terror.
Sifting present-day zeitgeist artifacts by way of the lens of historic lore, and inexorably returning to the foundational concepts of human psychology, Kneer’s do the job digs up the foundations of intended socio-cultural binaries and confronts our conceptions of suitable/mistaken, beautiful/unappealing, very low/substantial lifestyle. The artist breaks them down into their constituent pieces, and releases them for recasting in a value-totally free house.
This exhibition marks the first chapter of “BASTARDS,” with future displays in Berlin, New York, Zurich and Milan.
Nele Ruckelshausen
at Shore Gallery, Vienna
till March 4, 2023