All fine (Mr. Rogers, Itchy, King), 2021
Police shields, UV on transparent film, one with prism lens and wall mount, 101x56x10cm / and their eyes became sharper
The photographs on the police shields show excerpts of various spatial and everyday scenes: a young person from behind during a bus ride; a realistic-looking doll with tattered work clothes standing free on the pavement; Fred McFeely Rogers, from the US children's television series 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood', being interviewed on a television screen.
In its function, the police shield separates two people from each other and places them in contrasting positions. The sense of "us" and "them" is created. All fine (Mr.Rogers, Itchy, King) questions this principle of distinction while leaving open whose reflection or perspective is being shown here. While harmless, cropped situations of an unidentifiable person, a doll, and a child star are depicted, these, in duality with the police shield, and also with each other, evoke something threatening.
The subtitle excerpt "sometimes things don't go right in the neighborhood" from an interview with Mr. Rogers, here with kaleidoscope lenses instead of eyes, further alludes to the distortion of perceptions and images that shape us and create fear of the unknown and strange. Factually, however, Mr. Rogers cared deeply about the people on the other side of the screen-their needs, concerns, struggles, and joys. He showed children their uniqueness, in part by portraying feelings and idiosyncrasies as worthy of mention and manageable.
Each of the shields is manipulated by something added. The question of the bias of our systems and values is raised again.
Photo: Tamara Lorenz, liebschuh, Selma Gültoprak
Installation view: Martinetz, 2021