Mariana Vassileva: Fold & Break, DNA Berlin

On 23 April DNA Berlin opens Fold & Break, a new solo exhibition by Bulgarian artist Mariana Vassileva. Her practice examines numerous elements of life, exploring mobility, urban living, the intense feelings experienced within reality, the difference between the individual and the collective, the connection between people and nature and the questioning of social, political and ethical structures. Fold & Break is an exhibition of sharp observations and contemplations, reflecting on the connections between artist and audience.

Based in Berlin, Vassileva is particularly interested in the globalised world. Using video art, she begins in the real world and takes her works to unexpected places. An example of this is in Reflections (2006) where the artist gets random visitors in a park in Berlin to stage a performative symphony of reflections. There is also the involvement of humour and lightness in her work, particularly in Traffic Police (2008) and Never Carry Two Watermelons Under One Arm (2011).

The aim of the artist’s artistic research is to transform still life and movement into a new, lively harmony. As well as utilising video art, Vassileva employs sculpture, installation and drawing too. The works may appear minimal on the surface, but they contain a strong personal touch, housing a plethora of meanings – ranging from destruction to poetry.

Regardless of her chosen medium, Vassileva does not require a theoretical or historical framework to develop her artistic perception. Her work is highly-intuitive and carries the lightness of fiction, allowing the audience to rediscover the pleasure of contemporary art. Uncovering the joy in nonsense, she exposes the complex layers of thought to construct a rich texture of ideas.

Mariana Vassileva: Fold & Break, 23 April – 25 May, DNA GmbH, Auguststraße 20, 10117 Berlin, Germany.

Credits
1. Mariana Vassileva, Turnovo, 2013, Duration: 3’31’’, Courtesy: DNA BERLIN.