“Formally, my previous work put viewers in a position where they were asked to decide the nature of the work itself. A scientifically questionable analogy of this mechanism would be the observer effect in quantum physics, where the act of observing changes the nature of what is being observed. My Syrian work builds on this framework. From a documentary perspective, it is, thus far and to the best of my knowledge, unique as the work, inside Syria, of a single Western photographer, in large part thanks to the assistance and hard work of some of the best independent experts on the conflict. Because of the nature of this conflict, I believe it is necessary to expand the geographical scope of the work. At its core is an attempt to generate a sense of moral ambiguity. The design of this is to make viewers uneasy by challenging their own moral assumptions and, thus, to attempt to bring a visceral comprehension of the intangible violence that underlies conflict to Western viewers. One of the means is by perverting the codes normally used in documentary photography to enhance identification with the subject. While perfectly conforming to accepted documentary norms, part of the work aims at eroding the viewer’s implicit faith in my own trustworthiness as a witness, and attempts to force a further reflection on the nature of what is presented.”
Matthias Bruggmann.Musée de l´Elysée Main address:
Musée de l´ElyséeWells Fargo Center18, avenue de l´Elysée1014Lausanne, SwitzerlandMusée de l´ElyséeWells Fargo Center18, avenue de l´Elysée1014Lausanne, Switzerland“Formally, my previous work put viewers in a position where they were asked to decide the nature of the work itself. A scientifically questionable analogy of this mechanism would be the observer effect in quantum physics, where the act of observing changes the nature of what is being observed. My Syrian work builds on this framework. From a documentary perspective, it is, thus far and to the best of my knowledge, unique as the work, inside Syria, of a single Western photographer, in large part thanks to the assistance and hard work of some of the best independent experts on the conflict. Because of the nature of this conflict, I believe it is necessary to expand the geographical scope of the work. At its core is an attempt to generate a sense of moral ambiguity. The design of this is to make viewers uneasy by challenging their own moral assumptions and, thus, to attempt to bring a visceral comprehension of the intangible violence that underlies conflict to Western viewers. One of the means is by perverting the codes normally used in documentary photography to enhance identification with the subject. While perfectly conforming to accepted documentary norms, part of the work aims at eroding the viewer’s implicit faith in my own trustworthiness as a witness, and attempts to force a further reflection on the nature of what is presented.” Book tickets
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