exhibitions

SOMEONE HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED

Orit Ishay 

22/03 – 04/05/2019

curated by Basak Senova

Opening: Thursday, 21 March, 2019, 7pm 

Wed to Fri,  1pm – 7pm, Sat 10am – 3pm 

Venue: philomena+ project room , Heinestraße 40, 1020 Vienna

Special Event:
Monday, 25 March, 2019, 7pm: 

Beyond the Gaze”, Panel Discussion at the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien, with Orit Ishay (photo artist), Basak Senova (curator of the exhibition) and Christine Bruckbauer (philomena+)

Moderation: Marina Grzinic, Akademie der bildenden Künste Atelierhaus

Venue: Lehargasse 8, 1060 Vienna, 1. OG, Atelier Süd

Orit Ishay, “Someone Has Been Sleeping in My Bed” © the artist

A man is lying on a bed without moving. The position of his body suggests no action by maintaining an immobile posture as if he is dead; it feels like the body will remain completely still. The positioning of his hands raises a suspicion; it is not clear for the viewer whether it was staged to manipulate how the body must be seen and experienced. Nevertheless, the same body posture also stimulates a scene of sleep. Therefore, the photograph creates a tidal situation between life and death.

Each photograph in the “Someone Has Been Sleeping in My Bed” series displays the same body in distinctly different interior settings that have their unique style, character, theme, fashion, and atmosphere.

“Someone Has Been Sleeping in My Bed” designates a binary orientation in line with the contemporary discourse of photography: on the one hand, each photograph focuses on visible reality, yet on the other hand, it relates to its photographic trace to various interpretative fields, rooted in pre-existing connotations. Therefore, these photographs question our perception of reality and the medium itself by creating another layer of complexity of vision and gaze on on space, time and perspective.

artists

is a prominent photographer and visual artist working with video and installation. She is a lecturer in photography. Ishay deals with interactions of people and places, and the way they influence the formation of identity and nationalism. The social, political and security-related changes of the contemporary world are linked to her works, making them both local and globally relevant. Her works were shown widely and they are included in the collections of MOCAK Krakow, MUMOK Wien, The Israel Museum Jerusalem and etc.

Orit Ishay, “Someone Has Been Sleeping in My Bed” © the artist
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