A Character Study With Amalia Ulman

February 18, 2020

When you look up at the sky, what do you see? For artist Amalia Ulman, whose work deals with themes of privilege, power, and authenticity, it’s a chance to daydream—about questions of the self and, for a brief moment, what life would be like without the constructs of money, sex, power, and fame.

Entering Ulman’s work “Dignity,” which Birkenstock has commissioned the artist to recreate (literally on set) at Frieze Los Angeles’ Backlot of Paramount Studios, is to plunge into a womb-like world where hierarchies of male power, socio-economic imbalances and the art world’s ruling class don’t exist. A sanctuary from the chaos of the art fair outside, Ulman has created a small, quiet room made exclusively out of lush blue velvet material, with heavy curtains serving as walls. The weight of the fabric alone makes visitors feel as though they’ve entered a surrealist Lynchian world, enough to quiet the mind for a brief moment of respite.

Interview by Dalya Benor
Photos courtesy of Jason Jean + Da Ping Luo

Originally shown in 2017 at James Fuentes in New York, Ulman’s reinterpretation of “Dignity” for Frieze brings back her characteristic elements of a cloud-print ceiling made of styrofoam office tiles and a metallic stripper pole with a curved top, nodding to an accident that left her disabled and reliant on the use of a cane. This edition however, sees her room bedecked in blue instead of her signature red color, and the inclusion of a branded photo booth leans into the obligatory photo-opp that art has become a vehicle for. A commentary on “the art world as entertainment” (and Instagram fodder), the photo booth invites fairgoers to participate in Ulman’s work, becoming part of the performance that she has set up.

Known for outfitting everyone from bohemian comfort-seekers to celebrities in functional footwear, Birkenstock debuted its first foray into luxury fashion with the new Birkenstock 1774 collection in partnership with MATCHESFASHION at Frieze. A collaboration with the legendary sandal company links Ulman’s recurring exploration and fashion’s ability to create imaginary characters. After all, all the world’s a stage, and Dignity sits smack dab in the middle of one the world’s greatest—Hollywood itself.

We caught up with Amalia below for her commentary:

What was the inspiration behind the project and what references did you look at when beginning the piece?

This work comes from the Privilege series which, like other works of mine, looks at spaces that are categorized as neutral or "normal" (instead of feminine or ethnic, etc.) by the ruling classes.

The element of performance is quite prevalent in your work. How does the photobooth play into this?

This part of the installation was determined before I even started working on the installation. It wasn't my idea originally but I like the idea of a Photo Booth especially when it gives a printed photograph. I like the lives this piece of paper can have. I still print a lot of photographs myself and like finding them unexpectedly.

How does a work such as "Dignity" play out in the context of an art fair versus a gallery space, where many of the themes such as power structures, privilege, and celebrity are literally at play?

I don't think art happens at the gallery, or the fair, or the museum. Art happens somewhere else. I don't prioritize one exhibition sphere over another, I don't think there's any difference, in the end, they all respond to the same capitalist needs. There are few exceptions but they always seem too pure to survive.

What do the elements of the blue walls, the stripper pole, and the clouded sky symbolize in the work?

The whole idea behind the Privilege series was to generate content based on a character that was an exaggeration of myself and the strange period of time the performance took place (the 2016 US presidential election). The blue sky was taken from the office ceiling where the content was filmed in Downtown Los Angeles, the stripper pole is a reference to Excellences & Perfections, the cane is a reference to... well, my own cane (I have a disability). Things just work or not. I just saw this room in my head and thought it worked. Deconstructing it won't really go anywhere. Art shouldn't be explained.

How has your work evolved with the changing landscape of social media?

I was never interested in social media but on the internet at large. My background is in internet art. I care about social media insofar as that it says something new about the economy and human relations.

Your “Dignity” installation incorporates red carpet images of yourself photoshopped with semen superimposed onto your face. Was this inspired by an interest in celebrity culture?

I don't care that much about celebrity culture. When I worked on the images that are also titled Dignity, I was more interested in the sexuality of the men photoshopping these red carpet images. The amount of care and attention to detail given to something others might consider degrading fascinates me.

What do you think of the fact that the Frieze art fair is located on a Hollywood studio backlot? Does this say anything about the relationship between celebrity and the art world to you?

When I think of the Hollywood studio backlot I don't think of celebrity but of films and fiction. I love movies but I also lived in LA for long enough to know that the representation of Los Angeles in films is nothing like Los Angeles itself. I'm very interested in propaganda and I can happily say that I lived in the biggest propaganda factory there is. To me, the relationship between the art world and celebrity is a distraction. There are way too many young talented artists not getting the recognition they deserve because their parents aren't famous, it's sad.

How does your work lend itself to a collaboration with a fashion footwear brand such as Birkenstock? Were you thinking about the brand at all while being commissioned or did you create the project independently?

I was approached by Frieze because of my site-specific immersive installations, so I worked with Frieze and Birkenstock to bring back some of these works with complete creative freedom. The only thing I had in mind was that there would be a frontal photograph being taken, which is very specific. Sometimes amazing installations don't work well in their photographic documentation and vice versa, I was trying to find a balance between what felt good in person and looked good on paper.

Do you wear Birkenstocks? If so, in what situations?

I do. I have a pair for the swimming pool and another to walk around during the summertime. I have a disability so they are lifesavers.

In the past, you’ve personified different characters and identities for your work. Do you occupy these personas in real life as well?

No. When I act, it is for a specific work, as if it were a play. There are rehearsals and stage work. Offstage, I don't do that. I just finished shooting a feature film where I did perform a character. Now, I'm only dealing with post-production as a director. If that's a persona, I guess I'm playing the character of a stressed filmmaker looking for post-production funding [laughs].

What are you working on next? Where will your next project take you?

I'm currently writing the script to a new video essay and finishing my first feature film, which is one of the biggest projects I worked on, a dark comedy about eviction.

What was the last thing you lied about?

I'm autistic so I can't lie. It is a problem.

Art

Pamela Sneed’s Speaking Tongue opens at Dashwood Projects

November 15, 2024

Pamela Sneed’s latest exhibition, Speaking Tongue, will be on view at Dashwood Projects from November 20 to December 21. The show features twenty watercolor and ink paintings inspired by her recent trip to Kenya, where she was deeply moved by the elegance of giraffes, the landscapes, and the energy of Nairobi.

Blending her background as a poet and visual artist, Sneed’s work reflects on themes of identity, nature, and connection. Her paintings capture the beauty and spirit of the animals she encountered, alongside reflections on her own experiences as part of the African diaspora.

This exhibition marks Sneed’s first solo show with Dashwood Projects and will be accompanied by a new book, also titled Speaking Tongue, to be released in December.

By Enzo Holdt
Artworks by Pamela Sneed

Art

Tiebreaker - Alvin Armstrong

November 15, 2024

There is a moment of silence right before the play. Just before the racket strikes the ball as it hangs weightless in the air, breathless and charged. It’s the fleeting yet decisive instant that can alter the course of the match, determining who wins and who loses.

Alvin Armstrong depicts this crucial moment in his new exhibition Tiebreaker, symbolizing the risks and rewards of competition. It’s an implication of something else at stake, where athletes push not only their bodies, but their spirits to the absolute limit.

The dynamic figures embody the strength, grace, and agility juxtaposed by the vibrant color palette evoking not just the joy of competition but the charged energy of the court.

Tiebreaker is opening Thursday, November 16th at Anna Zorina Gallery.

By Rea Brayshaw
Artworks by Alvin Armstrong

Art

The Things People Are Ashamed To Take Photos Of: The Photography and Films of Yuhan Cheng

Yuhan’s latest exhibition of photo and video work titled 窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里 takes its namesake from what could’ve been a mundane encounter. A month after moving to New York City from Chengdu, China, they stumbled across an abandoned fish tank left curbside. It reminded them of “the rotating fish in a tank that faded into the background of their mother’s home in Chengdu”, a thread connecting childhood familiarity that transformed into a symbol of greater significance in adulthood. A tank is a world within a world; a microcosm secluded from the broader chaos of the outside. Since then Yuhan has captured the other kinds of “fish tanks” closest to them in their photography and short films. Not literal ones necessarily– but intimate confined spaces in Chengdu and NYC where time stands still.

In the midst of taking snapshots of loved ones, Yuhan decided to turn their tender but examining lens on themselves. They realized shooting self-portraits unraveled a deeper understanding of their own nonbinary gender and queer sexuality. Yuhan admits in one of their short films “I hide from looking at my own body.” Yet, in the seclusion of their room which doubles as a dark room, Yuhan began to develop their first nude photos chronicling the subtle wounds; bitten cuticles, bruises, and scrapes they’ve accumulated involuntarily, once again documenting the things people choose to hide.

窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里, debuted at FAR-NEAR Studio Hours a gallery in Chinatown focused on expanding the art world's view of Asia and Asian artists curated by Lulu Yao Gioiello. The event merged Yuhan’s works from the past three years, including 70 photographs, three short documentaries, and one installation. There was something uncanny about the gallery’s atmosphere – from the dollar store teal green curtains obscuring every window to the clusters of framed photos mimicking how photos of relatives are displayed in one’s childhood home, to the darkened lighting that was both disorienting and cozy. All these details were meticulously chosen to imitate the rooms depicted in Yuhan’s films and photography. In other words, the audience was invited to Yuhan’s “fishtank”, to share the odd balance of comfort and unease of being known intimately. We talked to Yuhan at Cafe Reggio to understand how their latest body of work came into being.

Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity.

Ora Margolis— Were any memories/childhood experiences you had in Chengdu important to how you've developed as an artist?

Yuhan Cheng— Growing up in Chengdu, especially in a military household, shaped and gave me a source of contention how I understood my identity. There was always a sense of conflict when it came to my body and feeling like I didn’t quite fit the expectations around me. This tension has been a driving force in my practice, pushing me to explore identity and belonging in my work.

Tell us a bit about your latest exhibition Outside the Window, Inside the Tank at Far. What headspace were you in when taking these photos?

YC— Outside the Window, Inside the Tank is about the fluidity of self; our bodies, our environments, and our identities. The idea of water as both a symbol of confinement and freedom is central to the photos and film that comprise the exhibit. This fluidity much like how I see my experience moving between Chengdu and New York, where similar feelings follow me no matter where I am. Water mirrors the body, the frame, and the room, which are all containers of the self.

Previously, you’ve said you wanted the exhibition space to look "like your room". How did you make that happen and why is your NYC room important to you?

YC— My room in NYC is an extension of my identity. It’s where I feel vulnerable and where I explore myself most openly. It’s a manifestation of my sense of self. I recreated certain elements in the exhibition—the green sheer curtains, the dollar store shower curtain with bubbles, and the center installation depicted a self-portrait deteriorating in water, reminiscent of a fish in a tank. This room, like any other room or container, magnifies the tension of self-exploration.

Has your idea or comfort with your gender identity and /sexuality changed since you’ve delved into photography?

YC— Yes. The process of photography and filming has been a mirror to my own understanding of self. Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity. The process of photographing my queer friends and then myself allowed me to come to terms with who I am.

How did you and Lulu Yao of FAR-NEAR Studio meet, and what makes her a good collaborator?

YC— We first connected when I reached out with my series Princess of Funan River. Lulu understood the struggles and complexities in the work and she invited me to expand on those ideas with her. Our collaboration has worked because Lulu truly resonates with the themes I’m drawn to, like fluidity, transformation, and the intimacy of navigating belonging.

After completing Fish Tank and Remnants of an Amateur Film, what kind of movie do you want to make next?

YC— Right now, I’m more focused on writing. I need to understand what I want to say before making another film. Writing helps me find clarity;it’s a crucial part of my process.

What kind of camera do you use and why?

YC— I use a Canon AE-1. I started with it and I still love it. It's small, spontaneous, easy to use, and light. It allows me to capture moments naturally without overthinking.

What's your biggest fear?

YC— Being disconnected from my sense of self, from others, and from the things I love.

When do you feel most like yourself?

YC— It’s during those fleeting moments when I complete a project. That feeling fades quickly, leaving me searching for the next project to reconnect with that sense of fulfillment.

How do you want people to feel when they interact with your art?

YC— I want them to feel whatever resonates with them. I don’t want to prescribe the experience; it should feel right for each person.

Your work focuses on the close knit communities that surround you or various metaphorical “fish tanks”. What communities do you feel closest to?
YC— The queer artist community, both in Chengdu and NYC, has been a source of comfort and understanding for me. There’s something about shared struggles and shared creative language that feels like home.

What's the biggest difference between living life as a queer artist in NYC and in Chengdu?

YC— In both NYC and Chengdu, I’m learning more about myself. NYC offers a sense of freedom, while Chengdu is home, a place of comfort and history. Neither place defines me but both are significant parts of my path.

What are your next moves/goals?

YC— I want to continue exploring both film and photography, expanding my narrative style and experimenting across mediums. During my show, I found new ways of seeing my photographs such as by adding a window screen between frames or letting a self-portrait fade and grow mold in water. These approaches allowed me to see my work not just as 2D images but as 3D objects.

I want to keep pushing the boundaries of how photo and film can interact, and I’m also interested in trying photojournalism. My focus remains on collaborating across mediums and continuing to accumulate experiences that I can translate into sincere honest work.