Playful past and violent future , or when toys cease being toys

Anne Michaux

Origin: Static Issue 01
Content: Text / Images

What really drives my work though, is my fascination with the tension between the past, the present and the future. My work is a quest for understanding, and I endeavour to make the seeds of the future to become visible in the present.

Even though I make use of doomsday scenarios that envision a world ravaged by ecological catastrophes, (civil) war, violence, oppression, and out-of-control capitalism, I see something beautiful in the chaos of these visions. Chaos can be the source of a new beginning, purification. Chaos can be beautiful because it destroys the status quo and sets free new energies, allowing for the creation of something new and fresh. But chaos in itself is also beautiful in the sense that it is a manifestation of something powerful that often looks fascinating, even though, or because, it is destructive.

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Contributor:

Anne Michaux is a Luxembourgish artist who lives and works in Berlin. Her work, which she describes as photographic illustration, involves building small-scale models of landscapes and cityscapes and photographing them on the digital camera. The small-scale models are built with different materials and objects, predominantly toys, cutout photography, and other materials.

She has been fascinated with building imaginary futuristic scenery and engaging with the possibilities for rewriting individual history. Destruction is part of the creative process for her as she demolishes the models after the photographs have been taken. This is her personal comment on the nature of art and contemporary social context.

Her recent exhibitions include a show at KM5 in Ibiza (summer, 2005), and show at the Berliner Kunstprojekt (July, 2005). She is currently taking part in an exhibition in Seattle, USA. Her next show with new photographic will be at Leslies Art Gallery in Luxembourg in April 2006. She has contributed to various magazines and online publications (Faesthetic, WAG, Flavorpill L.A., Clamor, Cahoots, etc.).

Associated Links:

Website: www.annemichaux.net