In 2004, a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich with the image of the Virgin Mary emblazoned on its toasty exterior sold on eBay for $28,000. It was hailed as a sacred object by its accidental creator, a jewellery designer from Florida, who believed that it provided protection and guidance from its Tupperware reliquary.
It is human nature to find forms in the shadows, familiarity in clouds, and faces in the abstract textures of our world. Through tiny clues – movements, outlines, or unexpected sounds – we are confronted by a presence: the suggestion of another being with something to tell us. Perhaps, pareidolia, the ‘incorrect’ perception of meaning within the meaningless, is not so incorrect at all.
Through magic and play, Lo-Fi Faces inspects our world’s hidden characters and the messages they whisper to us in fleeting moments of recognition. The works examine the collection of features we interpret as faces and how the symbolic ‘face’ informs our understanding of the world and our place within it. From the ubiquitous smiley face to more interpretive expressions, Lo-Fi Faces faces our interdependence head on.
CURRENT OBSESSION (CO)
How did the concept for the exhibition come about?
CHLOÉ VALORSO (CV)
The concept for the exhibition started with this simple fact: we see faces everywhere. The pareidolia phenomenon is where we project ourselves to make sense of the world. I believe that’s why we make art too: to make sense of our environment. I wanted to curate an exhibition where pieces look back at you, where you enter a playful liminal space. It’s an exhibition about transformation.
CO
What are some of the different approaches the artists are taking to interpreting the concepts of lo-fi faces and pareidolia?
CV
Rachel Ness is anthropomorphising her surroundings, using everyday objects in her pieces. Amelia Toelke is creating faces from jewellery: rings become eyes, chains become smiles. Kalkidan Hoex is creating her new tribe, mixing masks and street fashion. Georgina Treviño is playing with the smiley face, creating new icons. Lara Orawski is interested in rituals and the human presence. I (Chloé Valorso) am creating amulets in the witching hours of the twenty-first century, mixing organic materials and contemporary culture.
CO
How does one display jewellery made of secret faces?
CV
The exhibition will work as a 3D collage in which our works coexist, challenge and merge with each other. For the display I am using a surrealist process: the exquisite cadaver. Playing with jewellery and drawings from all the artists, I am making spirits to make a new poetic horizon. Like Martin Parr said, ‘I am not looking for beauty but for ambiguity’.
LO FI FACES
Jackie Andrews, Kalkidan Hoex, Rachel Ness, Lara Orawski, Amelia Toelke, Georgina Treviño & Chloé Valorso
super+CENTERCOURT
Adalbertstraße 44, Munich, Germany
11.03 – 15.03
Disco Opening 11.03 18:00 – 20.00
Thu – Sun 11:00 – 18:00
