Vis-à-Vis – What else? Event

Artists: Ly Lagazelle, Lisl Ponger, Nives Widauer

extended until May 13, 2022

OPENING March 9, 7pm

Based on artist Ly Lagazelle’s photographic exploration of African masks, hinterland explores the question of cultural identity and the gaze on and of the “other”. How do we see the others? How do we see ourselves? How do the others see us? How do the others see themselves? Who are the others? Which lens do we perceive the other? Are we able to explore and acquire the different layers that compose the others, or we quickly go and use the overused ways of interpretations? Those and other questions could lead us to a world of ultimate resolutions that may emerge by exploring the “what else?“ dimension. What stereotypes and prejudices are we, but also the others, afflicted with? The works of Ly Lagazelle, Lisl Ponger and Nives Widauer address these issues and - in the context of the exhibition - are intended to stimulate further exploration that may capture new understandings and possibilities that goes beyond the language game.

African masks have existed since the dawn of time and ritual masks are still made in Africa today. The masks primarily serve as mediators between the gods and humans. Through colonization and missionization, Africa’s cultures and the rituals and traditions that go with them have also very often been seen as animistic and hostile. The photographs of Ly Lagazelle use these traditional masks not only show some grievances she perceives as an African woman in her own culture and tradition, but also to challenging the old and new metaphors that are attached to the subjects of her practices. (Cultural) identity is constructed, by us but also by the imagination and gaze of the “other”. Likewise, Ly Lagazelle, who now lives in Vienna, has studied traditional Austrian masks, and staged them from her (foreign) point of view.

hinterland wants to juxtapose and critically question these foreign and our own views: Artist Nives Widauer brings together the different cultures with historical engravings of ancient gods and African masks. She connects identities that at first glance do not belong together and challenges us to think about cultures, subcultures and their exploitation in the past. Lisl Ponger’s works deal with the pictorial representation of Western ideas and perceptions of non-European cultures (the “others”). With her “Western, white” gaze, she takes a critical stance on the topic.

This exhibition is intended not only to sharpen our gaze, but also to engage the emerging questions in a common dialogue in the exhibition as well as in the accompanying events.

Thanks to Amarildo Ajasse.