Transformation VII

Over several months the group offered a workshop on the topic of self-image – both individual and collective – and explored how it is constructed and defined in contrast to an "other." Drawing from historical and contemporary examples of constructing stereotypes, clichés, and prejudices, connections were examined between the idea of self-image, the role of media coverage, and the construction of opinion. Among the questions addressed were: What is information? How is it created and disseminated? What interests determine the portrayal of content? What reactions does this trigger in recipients? How are images "distorted" in the media?

The result was a series of "ghost" portraits and an experimental version of a newspaper, presented as an expansive installation in the Temporary Gallery on the Rütli campus. The focus of the newspaper was determined, researched, and edited collaboratively by the students. Using found press articles, images, and texts, new articles and image elements were created using analog and digital collage techniques. The "ghost" portraits are facial impressions of the students on glass plates, processed by the Mahony Collective. The starting point for this workshop and its associated exhibition is the project Ghosts and the Self by Mahony Collective, which was exhibited in 2016 at Villa delle Rose/Museum of Modern Art Bologna (MAMbo).

original German text by Silvia Ploner, 2017