Lydia Venieri

War Games: New Photographs

September 9 - October 13, 2007

Salmanca, 2007, archival ink jet on poysatin, 30 x 60 in (76 x 152.5 cm)

Bagdad 1, 2007, archival ink jet on poysatin, 20 x 40 in (51 x 101.5 cm)

Gaza-Bombing, 2007, archival ink jet on poysatin, 30 x 60 in (76 x 152.5 cm)

Explosion, 2007, archival ink jet on poysatin, 20 x 40 in (51 x 101.5 cm)

Camp, 2007, archival ink jet on poysatin, 30 x 60 in (76 x 152.5 cm)

Afganistan, 2007, archival ink jet on poysatin, 20 x 40 in (51 x 101.5 cm)

Stux Gallery presents, on the occasion of the Scope Basel International Art Fair, new digital photograph-works on silk by Lydia Venieri.

 

Venieri explores the juxtaposition of hyper-realistic elements and seemingly naïve images of children!s dolls. Inserting the main action narrative of the photograph inside the eerily sincere eyes of children!s dolls, Venieri manages to disarm viewers at first glance, while delivering a potent punch of hysteria upon further inspection. The dolls volunteer themselves to our gaze, beckoning the viewer to approach in an unguarded and vulnerable state.

 

Images of suicide bombings in Israel and the devastation caused by the allied bombing of Nagasaki are literally pulled from the headlines. Captured inside the reflections of the haunting gaze of these empty vessels, they create a mysterious relationship between two conspicuously diverse visual worlds.

 

Continuing her search for the human embodiment of social issues within the constructs of a deceivingly simple children!s play toy, Venieri's new photographic series offers an in-depth look at human perception and the dissemination of images and information.