Paul Vanouse: Fingerprints... | extended until April 16, 2011

22.03.2011, Berlin | The exhibition Fingerprints… - the first monographic show of the performative installations and live laboratories by US-American biomedia artist Paul Vanouse in Germany - will be extended until April 16, 2011. Visitors can witness the concluding performances by Paul Vanouse and Kerry Sheehan on March 24, 25 and 26, 2011. The results of the performative installations and live laboratories will then be displayed until April 16, 2011.  

Curated by Jens Hauser, the exhibition presents the world premiere of the Suspect Inversion Center, an operational laboratory in which Vanouse creates identical “genetic fingerprints” of criminals and celebrities from his own DNA. It also features new motifs of the Latent Figure Protocol, as well as the Relative Velocity Inscription Device – a cynical molecular race reflecting on biologically legitimized racism, in which bits of DNA, instead of bodies, compete by testing their “genetic fitness”. The exhibition marks a continuation of the Ernst Schering Foundation’s effort to promote the public discussion about the role of images in art and science.

Vanouse’s biotechnological installations do not only challenge the codes and images of contemporary knowledge production but also question the methods behind (natural) scientific findings in general: What do uncritically accepted commonplace catchwords such as “genetic fingerprint” conceal? To what extend does the technical construction of alleged naturalness notarize clichés and prejudices? Vanouse diverts biotechnologies and scientific imaging techniques from their intended uses, and amalgamates auratic iconography with technical images. Employing gel electrophoresis as artistic medium, he intentionally applies a method that bears analogies to photography: while photography allowed viewers to draw seemingly objective conclusions about human qualities based on physiognomic characteristics of the body, today, increasingly questionable social conclusions are derived from ontologized body fragments such as genes.

Fingerprints… is an official Satellite Partner of transmediale.11, where it was echoed by the live installation Latent Figure Protocol and a panel at the transmediale.11 conference on February 4, 2011. Supported by the Ernst Schering Foundation, the artist and the curator as well as internationally renowned scientists enlarged upon the issues raised by the exhibition.

On the occasion of the exhibition, the anthology Fingerprints…Index, Imprint, Trace, edited by Jens Hauser, will appear in the Ernst Schering Foundation’s publication series with argobooks and will be presented at Ernst Schering Foundation on March 24, 2011 at 7 pm.

Further information please click here.

Images:

Paul Vanouse Relative Velocity Inscription Device Middle Projection

Paul Vanouse Suspect Inversion Center, (c) Axel Heise