Art Box
Josephine Meckseper is one of the boldest and most assured artists worldwide today, and her brand new self-titled show at the FLAG Foundation (that runs through May 26) just proved why. Straying from her signature video work (apart from one work that concluded this show), Meckseper instead focused on beautifully edited and hardened mixed media to easily salivate her collectors and fans in an instant. She used sleek glass, steel, industrial photos, and painstakingly assembled vitrines to get her point across on modernism and foundations of essentialism. But beyond the big ideas, the pieces were just plain visually brilliant. Our favorites were the monumental car rim heavy Negative Horizon and black crow and jewel enriched African Spir, which of course paid tribute to the revolutionary 19th century Russian philosopher.
It’s not everyday that artists get to play God. But the British talent Chris O’Shea got the whole effect down perfectly with his “Hand From Above” that unleashed a giant paw from the BBC Big Screen in London. It curiously played with the minds of shell-shocked pedestrians by pointing them out, tickling them, and stretching their bodies.
“I was inspired by shows such as Land of the Giants, and stories of mythical creatures,” O’Shea told Art Box. “I wanted to make an artwork that would make people feel like there could be a giant looming over them. The great thing about making work for the BBC Big Screen is that it’s situated in a busy pubic space, giving interaction to an audience who might not normally go into a gallery setting.”
The artist is not new to all the brilliant public displays. He has worked on creating interactive work for institutions like Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Britain, and the Royal Opera House in the past.
