Anu Pennanen's La Ruine du Regard at CCA
Finnish artist's architectonic video installation forms the centrepiece of a major group exhibition at the Centre for Contemporary arts in Glasgow.
Large-scale group exhibition ECONOMY examines the role of the economy in shaping all aspects of human life. The exhibition features work from over 30 artists and is presented from January to April 2013 at two of Scotland's leading cultural institutions: Stills, Scotland's Centre for Photography in Edinburgh and Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow. Pennanen's five-screen architectonic video installation La ruine du regard (The Ruins of the Gaze) is presented in the main gallery space at the (CCA) in Glasgow. This is the first time that the piece has been exhibited in the UK.
Anu Pennanen is one of Finland's leading contemporary artists. Her work in film and photography deals with urban public space. The film La ruine du regard is set in Europe's largest transportation and shopping hub, Les Halles in Paris. Produced over a period of three years, the film follows the daily lives of several individuals within this architectural complex and traces the connections with the city's outskirts. La ruine du regard won the Golden Cube award at Kasseler Dokfest in 2011 and has recently been bought for the collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma.
Curators of ECONOMY, Angela Dimitrakaki and Kirsten Lloyd, have selected work produced since the fall of the Berlin wall, which explore what happened since then: in both art and society, economic relations became increasingly central to what we do and, not least, are. Pieces selected include, in addition to Pennanen's video installation, acclaimed photographer Andreas Gursk's (Germany) and the Raqs Media Collective's work (India). The exhibition will also incorporate two new commissions by Edinburgh-based photographer Owen Logan and the renowned Austrian artist collective WochenKlausur.
Curators say: "Talking about economy is no longer boring because everything is now so clearly connected to it: the way you have sex, your education, your cool shirt that should say ‘made in hell', the climate, where you live and, ultimately, how you'll die."
Anu Pennanen's participation in ECONOMY is supported by the Finnish Institute in London.
Centre for Contemporary Arts:
Saturday 26 January – Sunday 23 March 2013 / Tuesday – Saturday / 11am – 6pm / FREE
Preview: 25 January / 7–9pm
http://www.cca-glasgow.com
Exhibition website: http://www.economyexhibition.netStills:
19 January – 21 April 2013 / Monday – Sunday / 11am – 6pm / FREE
Preview: 18 January / 6–8pm
http://www.stills.org