David Jablonowski
Prosumer
24 Aug – 3 Nov 2013
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Prosumer is an exhibition of work by David Jablonowski (b. Bochum, 1982). It is the first in a new series of solo shows being held at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag in partnership with De Ateliers in Amsterdam (the Netherlands’ premier institute fostering young artistic talent). The event is in line with the Gemeentemuseum’s ambition not only to hold exhibitions linked to its collection of classic modern art, but also to show challenging new work of today. A ‘prosumer’ is a cross between a consumer and a producer. The term refers to the contemporary phenomenon by which we are (almost) all both consumers and producers of the contents of the World Wide Web. David Jablonowski has created a new installation specifically for this show: a contemporary collage featuring his sculptures, made of aluminium off-set printing plates and of stone, accompanied by projected images of nature or of fingerprints.
David Jablonowski is acclaimed for the ingenious way in which he plays with a wide range of materials. Despite its highly contemporary appearance, his work often includes allusions to art history. Jablonowski creates exciting contrasts by locating high tech elements in a natural environment and by combining the latest communications technology, such as scanners, projection screens and printing plates, with organic elements like colourful spices and grain. He frequently misleads the viewer by using materials that look heavy but are actually light in weight, or look cold but are actually warm. Besides up-to-the-minute industrial products, his work regularly includes archaic elements such as ancient manuscripts and his way of combining and presenting materials gives even the latest technological gadgets an aura of age and sanctity.
The installation at the Gemeentemuseum will consist of beamers standing on a plinth composed of a still life. Films will be projected on the walls and there will also be stone sculptures on display. The films will provide information about how the materials used by Jablonowski are obtained or used. One of them will explain how aluminium is extracted, another will chart fingerprints on touch screens and a third will show how high tech equipment is marketed, often using the brilliant colours of nature. These films will add a tier of information to the material, creating a kind of hyperreality comparable to the multi-layered nature of information on the Web.