The Photographer and the Photographed – How close can you get?

As Elfie Semotan couldn’t hold her artist talk at the Museum of Modernity Rupertinum due to an overflow of appointments, the curator of her exhibition spontaneously decided to stand in for the artist and give a tour. Having worked closely together with the artist in the preparation of the exhibit, Margit Zuckriegl proves to possess a wealth of information about the works featured as well as about the artist herself.

Walking through the rooms lined with portraits of performing artists, she brings out background stories about how they came into being, like the one of Louise Bourgeois that the artist allowed Elfie Semotan to take if she brought a certain coat by Helmut Lang Louise fancied wearing. Martin Kippenberger spontaneously donned a colourful dress Elfie had with her, posing confidently against a white background. „You can’t draw a line between her fashion and her art photography“ says Margit Zuckriegl. Sometimes hung in groups or rows, at other times alone on a strip of wall, the A 4 sized portraits are interspersed with what looks like blown-up black and white Polaroids of anonymous studios.

The audience, their questions answered, left satisfied but a bit disappointed that they had not been able to see the artist herself, as they were curious to see what the person behind the camera looks like. They still have a chance this coming Thursday from 6pm to 9pm at the vernissage in the Alte Saline in Hallein, and again on Friday for the Open Door, from 10 am to 6pm, at the same location. Hopefully, their curiosity will then be satisfied.