Els Opsomer travels around the world, updating an 'urban archive' of pictures that she keeps on expanding. The slide installation SNOW / today presented at Galerie Erna Hécey is a result of documenting her New York, Brazil and China sojourns. Opsomer photographs ordinary fragments of urban reality, elements we no longer notice. They are snapshots in the margin of an ever-changing world. In this respect, her observations bear some resemblance to phenomena defined by anthropologist Marc Augé as 'non-lieux': places characterised by a mono-functional use, leading to a high degree of anonymity. Examples of these 'non-places' are parking lots, highways, motels, airports, etc. These 'non-places' deny the specific uniqueness of a city while contributing to the likeness of all cities. The phenomenon of mutually exchangeable cities leads to what Rem Koolhaas has called 'the Generic City':

'The generic city is the city without history, without layers, superficial like a film studio, in a process of never ending self-destruction and renewal. This city is liberated from the captivity of the centre and of identity. In this city you see homogenisation, endless repetitions of the same structural module, still more varied boredom, redundancy, and déjà vu, but also a city that is fractal, discontinuous, made up of enclaves, seemingly accidental and disorderly. (...) The generic city is also multiracial and multi-cultural, flexible diversity, aesthetic 'free style', and lots of mirrors. It may have mass tourism, but the streets are dead and the public realm has been evacuated in the favour of cars, highways and speed.' (Bo Grönlund about Rem Koolhaas' Generic City)

SNOW / today 2006 Double slide projection, 162 slide Variable dimensions My sweetest thoughts 2006 B&W photograph, analogue print 30 x 45 cm (unframed) Editon of 5 Be my secret pearl 2006 color photograph, analogue print 30 x 45 cm (unframed) Editon of 5 Valley of tears 2006 Sculpture String of lights, written text on paper 300 x 150 cm Unique (Exhibition view)

Valley of tears 2006 Sculpture String of lights, written text on paper 300 x 150 cm Unique (Detail)   _imovie[2]_:in-between/shifting 2004 DVD projection, color, english text, 13’52’’ Edition of 10 (Videostill) _imovie[one]_:the agony of silence 2003 DVD projection, color, english text, 11’58’’ Edition of 10 (Videostill) Orange Hotel, São Paulo 2003 color photograph, analogue print 41 x 62,5 cm (unframed) Edition of 5

Bill poster, São Paulo 2003 color photograph, analogue print 50 x 74 cm (unframed) Edition of 5 Alien dog 2002 - 2006 color photograph, analogue print 83 x 111 cm (unframed) Edition of 5 Spooky black, São Paulo 2002 - 2006 color photograph, analogue print 106 x 144 cm Edition 1/5 www.argosarts.org © 2008 Erna Hecey. All rights reserved. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it