“The installation lies between scarcity and opulence, between freedom of creation, the social dressing codes and the art system constrains.”
Olivia Mihălțianu
September 8 – October 20, 2018
Spinnerei, Leipzig, Germany
The reediting of discarded 35mm Hollywood film trailers into the ideal evening dress in endless attempts and shapes, cutting in and cutting out every last piece of film in a process that goes beyond cinematic and optical aspects of the film footage entering an object level of representation which keeps the information intact as it adds another layer of understanding and visualisation.
The reediting of discarded 35mm Hollywood film trailers into the ideal evening dress in endless attempts and shapes, cutting in and cutting out every last piece of film in a process that goes beyond cinematic and optical aspects of the film footage entering an object level of representation which keeps the information intact as it adds another layer of understanding and visualisation. The installation lies between scarcity and opulence, between freedom of creation, the social dressing codes and the art system constrains. Occupying the ground floor of the gallery project space in the Spinnerei, Olivia Mihaltianu’s collection of dresses hang amidst the French proverb set into neon and metal lettering: Tailler la robe selon le drap [Cutting the Coat according to the Cloth]. The words stand at the same time an invitation and a warning, a call to constraints, selective behaviour and a restrictive taunt in the process of artistic creation. The film-made dresses impart a subtle connection to the human anatomy and to the tangible presence of the image, conjoining and distorting them both. The installation builds its own architectural landscape within the space, expanding, multiplying and inhabiting a scene of its own making. The starting point of the installation is Film métrage, Robe de soirée, 1996, 35mm film, made by the artist 20 years ago. This work is an important element of the Film métrage larger concept referring to the appetite of our society for producing endless supply of footage and imagery.