Therese Lippold first picked up a camera as a kid. She’s been experimenting with that and other tools ever since. Framing objects in videos and images, she questions the separation between self and others; subject and object; body and mind. Her work combines photography, performance and installation. Sometimes one needs to engage multiple senses to express the complex details of a moment or a peculiar emotion.
Therese expresses complexity
In the video performances Stadium Unbekannt and The impossibility of overcoming oneself’, the artist challenges the certainty of these opposites. The frame of the camera becomes a stage. The limitations of its view guide her focus on what the expected. Working with images and the body in this framed yet endless space, Therese tries to overcome this dualism to suggest and explore new perspectives on reality.
Twisting the interaction between camera and objects, Kreuzweise captures the precise moment in which we perceive reality. Questioning what these moments are, in this video-performance the artist becomes the object in front of the camera to be captured and framed. Toying with the tension of simultaneously being both behind and in front of the camera at the same time, Therese captures what is needed to make this interaction happen.
Images supplied by artist. Photo credits as labeled.
This twist of perspectives becomes a key element in the video installation Mayday goes Midsommer. Here, the interaction between objects and video in the gallery space stimulates the spectator. Immersed in the installation, the viewer has to change position to see the different perspectives of the whole work. By moving through the space, the audience becomes an active element of the installation itself. This altering of sight line allows for the piece to be constantly transformed by the viewer.
Perspective twisting
The idea of transformation and experimentation continues in her performances. In the series Tyrenn #1 – #5, Therese blurs tension between objects and subjects. The performance in 5 acts is a dance between the artist and a door frame. This interaction constantly evolves and transforms, transmitting to the audience a different feeling each time. This exporative process becomes a symbol of the mutual relationship of object and subject.
Rather than seeing these oppositions as static, the artist highlights the constant exchange of roles in between two opposites. This question on dualism becomes a wake up call in one of her latest performances, ‘tok tokk aggar’ (2020). In this live performance, Therese uses her body to perceive a world of objects made of Agar Agar. Playing with the properties of the plant-based gelatin, the artist highlights the impact of the body on its surroundings. In this case they wiggle, jiggle and react, but return to their original state unless great force is applied. The act of modifying objects represents the influences of our bodies on the external world, suggesting a reflection on our approach to others.
Modern world, modern materials
Therese is currently working on a new project with Agar Agar, while producing a film of her previous installation Mayday goes Midsommer. Currently, she is one of the residents at PK Online Residency, which is inspiring her practices and ideas.
written by Costanza Tagliaferri
See more of Theresa’s work on her website and instagram.