The Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna thrill spectators with their spectacular dressage program. Few know that the world-renowned white horses are born with a gray or black coat. Only during adolescence does their coat take on the characteristic color.
In the center of this photographic series by Martin Ogolter is the question with preconceived forms, in this case the one of horses. “We too often see with our memory” with this sentence, the artist, who lives in Rio de Janeiro and trained in New York, underlines his perspectival approach. The horses are broken through details, cutouts and montages. These interventions increase the defamiliarization between subjective experience and objective experience when visiting the exhibition.
The reduction to black and white, as well as the complete absence of background, gives the pictures an impressive focus. It might also be worth mentioning that all pictures were taken in the Austrian Alps were the young stallions spend their summers. The series can also be seen as a commentary on the bright white image Austria projects as a culture and tourist destination.
Martin Ogolter – Corpus
On view until September 30th, 2018
Kunstbox Kinoplatz, Bad Gastein, Austria
http://www.sommerfrischekunst.de
http://www.martinogolter.com/corpus.html
