Anon., is a surrealist site-specific installation by artist duo Walter & Zoniel.
Affiliated with Lumiere London, Anon. features luminous old age pensioners projected as living sculptures on to the front of the gallery’s exterior. The glow-in-the-dark-grannies, each installed in solitary existence, glow under the flashing lights of the artist’s camera. In order to trigger the living sculptures luminosity throughout the night Walter & Zoniel perpetually photograph the reflective subjects who have been coated with Albedo100 Reflective Spray. The stream of abstract images taken are then projected onto the windows above the installation forming a live wall of rolling imagery, remaining present for a matter of minutes before being replaced by the next image. Viewed from the street the installation takes over the whole building at night, illuminating Dover Street.
The installation is a reflection upon the human condition and our relationship to the modern world, themes that Walter & Zoniel often explore in their work. The artist duo is renowned for presenting questions within their art, using t h e surreal and l i g h t h e a r t e d to evoke thought. The playful spirit of this fantastical piece provides a basis to pose much deeper questions around isolation within our society, our relationships to digital media, obsessions with photography and our cultural relationships towards ageing. The contrast of the fluorescent geriatrics coming to life under the flashlight, juxtaposed against the stream of digital imagery is designed to be both beautiful and thought provoking.
The surrealist nature of the work is an ongoing theme in their art, aimed to evoke joy, inspiration and reflection at the unusual installation. Further themes of their work reflect upon the proliferation of the photograph in mass and social media, and the consequentially changing manner in which we communicate with one another on a day-to-day basis.
Walter & Zoniel like to create works that have a strong positive and inspirational connection with their viewer, taking them out of an everyday moment to a point of unexpected elation whilst simultaneously opening up questions about their subject matter.
14th January – 17th January 2016 Live Performance every evening 6 – 9pm
gazelliarthouse.com
Lumiere London
Lumiere London is the first London edition of the Lumiere Festival of Light. The installation will be live from 6pm – 9pm every evening from the 14th – 17th January 2016.
Find the full Lumiere London programme and accompanying map at: files.londonandpartners.com/lumiere-london-map.pdf
About Walter & Zoniel
Walter & Zoniel have been collaborating and exhibiting internationally since 2008. Multidisciplinary in their practice, they work with a variety of mediums including sculpture, photography, film and performance. Their work focuses on visually charming and enticing the viewer into a momentary escape, whilst questioning and dealing with the human condition. Previous projects also centre on utilising scientific process and pioneering the modern development of early photographic techniques, whilst their large- scale installation works use surrealism or fun as a primary tool.
Recent projects include a performance-practice installation at the Tate Britain, entitled Salt Print Selfie, and site-specific public installations in Miami and Liverpool. In 2014 Walter & Zoniel were nominated for the Paul Huf Award. In October 2015, the duo produced Prelude To Spectra, a site–specific public performance for Art Silicon Valley in San Francisco, which will be seen in full at the Liverpool Biennial 2016.
