Kamen Stoyanov
“Movement as a process plays an important role in my practice. Movement as an intentional act of change of a given condition: social, urban, cultural or institutional. . Movement as an instrument of shaping space."
Born in 1977 in Rousse (Bulgaria), Kamen Stoyanov graduated in 2003 from the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia and in 2005 from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. A multimedia artist, his works include film, photography, video, performance, drawings, installation and combinations of these media. Kamen’s works are both reactions and possible answers to political and social issues such as identity, migration and historical definition. He finds inspiration in everyday situations and expression through various symbols and media, and uses both urban public places and the architectural environment as exhibition spaces or themes for photography and contrasts them with current or inherited cultural relations and habits.
Even though his actions usually take place in cultural institutions, public spaces or nature, the two underlying features of his works are inspiration by everyday processes and trivial objects and movement. The former to a large extent represents a reaction or commentary to political and social processes. His video and photographic work, installations, and performances have been shown throughout Europe and in the US as well, and can be found in numerous private and public collections. He lives and works in Vienna.
neon, 80 x 80 cm
High Voltage Fence draws on numerous historical references to the Central and Eastern European region, including the iron curtain, as well as confronting the viewer with issues of determining and crossing borders. The blinding light of the surface and the high-voltage buzzing sound generated by the transformers produce an immediate sense of fear and danger. The fence itself however is an exceptionally sensitive and fragile glass piece, and one which seeks, with uncanny precision, to call forth an illusion of originality.
neon, 25 x 300 cm