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19/5/2006

Timo Nasseri

Galerie Schleicher+Lange, Paris

Falling Stars

After the success of his exhibition in February last year which focused on his photographic series ‘Jet Skin’ that depicts abstract close-ups of the outer surface of fighter aircrafts in an immensely aesthetic and hence seductive way, Nasseri presents with ‘falling stars’ his first ever show consisting of sculptural works only. Focusing on the codes surrounding and de-humanizing contemporary conflicts and the related discussions in the media, Nasseri created a body of work that takes the discrepancy between symbolism and reality of war to an extreme.

The large scale wall sculpture ‘Shahab’ (literally translated with ‘falling star’), for instance, that reminds of the polished beauty of corporate logos, has been inspired by the recent tension between the West and Iran, the artist’s father’s country of origin. The concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been fuelled by the recent development of their first long range missile - the SHAHAB - and the threat that continuous nuclear research could enable Iran to design a nuclear warhead compatible with the ‘Shahab’ missile. Putting a different light on this aesthetically appealing sculpture and its poetic title, the work exemplifies the recurrent symbolic cynicism in regards to the discourse about warfare.

A similar approach can be found in the two works inspired by US army attack helicopters, which ironically have been given names based on different Indian tribes. Taking the original shapes as a starting point, Nasseri reconstructs a slightly smaller version of the ‘Appache’ and ‘Comanche’ helicopter for this show, covering them each with a coat of several hundred feathers. Similar to Nasseri’s ‘Jet Skin’ photographs and his ‘Shahab’ sculpture, the viewer gets at first sight mislead by the beauty resulting from this highly aesthetic representation: The softness of the helicopters’ shiny surface makes them appear almost fragile and innocent, masking the lethal function of these war machines and luring the viewer into safety. On the other hand the machine / animal hybrid he creates can be seen as a reference to the pseudo-scientific way news coverage of armed conflict has the tendency to rather focus on the technological advances than on the human consequences.

A number of additional sculptural objects by Timo Nasseri, conceived especially for this occasion, will also be on show.

Image: Falling star, 2006, mixed media, 300 x 130 x 26 cm

opening reception saturday, 20th may 2006 from 6.30 to 9.30pm

Galerie Schleicher+Lange
12 rue De Picardie - Paris
Hours: tuesday - saturday; 2 pm - 7 pm and by appointment

stampa

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