The duo presents their latest film - an unhurried narrative in the hidden depths of a train station and an international series of photographs of hair salons from all over the world
Alicja Karska and Aleksandra Went's videos and photographs offer images that trigger the memory of other images. Their latest video project, Opóźnienie" / "Delay (2010) The slow pace of the narration, almost suspended in time, urges the viewer to focus on the image itself. The meditative rhythm of the frozen-frame video and, especially, the tension between movement and stillness refer us to a different temporality and memory animated by the memory of the image on screen.
Karska and Went began working work together during their studies at the Gdańsk Academy of Fine Arts. Their projects often come up seemingly out of "nothing" and refer to neglected areas of reality, along with aspects of space and architecture. Many of these spaces had been abandoned and derelict - yet the artists managed to salvage certain elements and present them anew in a captivating image.
The artists take as their subject the eclectic urban environment that is slowly disappearing in the crowd of technology, media and advertising. Recent projects include an album of photographs of historic hair salons from all over the world (Ladies and Gentlemen). Salons in Gdańsk, Kielce or Tczew are placed alongside their stylised counterparts in Luxembourg, Brussels, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv - creating an intricate web of universal aesthetics as opposed to a basic geographical breakdown.
The presentation of Opóźnienie" / "Delay at the Foundation Profile is accompanied by the presentation and promotion of the book Ladies and Gentlemen.
Opening: April 21, 2011, 19:00.
The exhibition runs between April 22, 2011 - May 31, 2011.
Profile Foundation
ul. Hoza 41/22
00-681 Warsaw
link*www.fundacjaprofile.pl*http://www.fundacjaprofile.pl****Source: press materials