Unflattened
After the ethereal weightlessness of Nimbus, artist Berndnaut Smilde has returned with a new installation, Unflattened.
A deceptively simple work, Unflattened brings to mind ideas of tranquillity and peace, with a shining rainbow extending far beyond the bounds of the pictured lake.
The title’s reference originates from the simple Photoshop tool, in which one can work in several layers on top of each other. An unflattened file is not yet a compressed solid image. Smilde uses this method of layering many of his works and most significantly in his recent piece Unflattened. By projecting a color spectrum onto a photomural, the image of an idealistic landscape gets even more desirable.
“The photomural not only relates to a space but also to nostalgia and longing. By adding a rainbow on to it, the idea of perfection and promise extends and enters the state of home-made paradise,” said Smilde.
Smilde asks, “should we question the ideal?”
Unflattened will be on show at ‘ManifestAanwezig’ at Kasteel D’aspremont-Lyndem, Rekem, Belgium, from Sunday 3 June to Sunday 30 September 2012.
