Where Do Things in Dreams Go?                                               GALlery ANDRES THALMANn, Zurich

January 28th - March 12th, 2016

 Gallery Andres Thalmann and Katja Loher announce a new exhibition of the artist's recent Video Sculpture collections. On view in Zurich, Switzerland until the 12th of March, 2016.

To be in a bubble may imply existing in blissful seclusion. Bubbles also signify a time/space of prosperity, hope, and dreams. However, it is a truism that bubbles can burst. Despite the candid nature of the question in the title of this exhibition, it is not so with the bubble-worlds of Katja Loher, for they are micro-universes encapsulating prophetic transmissions of latent planetary urgency, existing within, yet surpassing time. They are also microcosms of beauty and wonder, and poetic statements about our relationship with nature: what it is, and also what it could become. 

One is reminded of magical realism, which is no surprise since the Swiss-born artist has an intimate fascination with South American culture. Inspired by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, a notable feature in her oeuvre are questions that, like surprising probes, rise up from the subconscious. Having formulated them with her long-time collaborator, Gian Maria Annovi, words, phrases or questions are expressed in what she calls the “video-alphabet”, i.e. precisely choreographed dancers who form kaleidoscopic visual patterns akin to the precision of synchronized swimmers. Filmed in a bird's-eye view, the result is a compelling medley of performance, text, image and sound, the last of which the artist has developed in co-operation with audio designer Asako Fujimoto. Whatever scale she employs, Loher's work creates a disturbingly and inescapably self-reflexive immersive experience for the viewer. 

In the current exhibition the bubbles re-emerge with Loher's latest footage from the rainforest (“What will protect the ants from the gilded sunbeams?”, and “What's the color of the air?”, 2015). They act as a bridge for her artistic inquiries as she broadens the scope to explore the medium of video-sculpture/installation. 

-Karen Garrat