Claudia Rogge: U N I F O R M
Sepr 01, 2006 - Nov 11, 2006




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The beginning of modernism, whose roots go back to the age of enlightenment and the beginning of industrialisation in the 18th century and which reached its first heydays in Western metropolises in the 19th century, was accompanied by the development of two seemingly paradox and contrasting phenomena, individualism and mass society. The trend towards uniformity of economic systems, mass transportation and mass media, which we nowadays associate with the term globalisation, also leads to a certain uniformity in peoples’ life designs. That is why many people want to stand out from this homogenous crowd. The various forms of subjectivism and standing out from the masses that were tried out in the first avant-garde movements since romanticism by artists, actors, and poets became a model for an individualistic concept, whose mirror image was reflected by fashion and its two extreme representatives, diva and dandy. Once daily needs are covered, and often times even before that, people begin to display their own individuality, from clothing and hairstyle to piercing and tattoos; all this is intended to ascertain their uniqueness within a mass society. And where this striving for individuality goes hand in hand with lifestyles that seem to contradict traditional ideas and values, it is once again the object of intense criticism from orthodox religious circles of different origins and is regarded as a pathological symptom of a decadent Western liberal lifestyle. It is from this sociological development that Claudia Rogge derives her central theme, the relationship between the crowd and the individual. Her central thesis, however, reduces the dichotomy between crowd and the individual to absurdity. For her, individualists are also representatives of a role model, whose different ways of expression, in the last analysis, can be traced back to social conventions. She does appreciate this striving for individualism, which is closely linked to the pursuit of personal freedom, because it extends the individual’s range of options to act, but in the last analysis it remains a first or second order derivative of accepted social standards, to which it remains structurally linked – even in its provocative negation. Claudia Rogge has sounded out her subject matter in different ways and with different strategies. Following her work in the public space with her two projects “mob il 1” and “mob il 2”, the first one being multiple reproductions of babies’ heads and the latter one multiple reproductions of crouching men, which she exhibited on her glass-sided truck in many European cities to trigger off an open discussion, she moved on to photography and thus entered the space dedicated to art in the narrower sense of the word. Each of the pictures of her “Rapport” series, which was first exhibited at Voss Gallery in 2005, shows individual human beings, mostly in a static pose, whose photographs were mounted into regular groups with the help of a computer. Intersected by the image borders, these groups seem to extend far beyond the visible space, and they produce a striking perceptional-psychological effect, which consists in the attempt of our perception to comprehend each individual figure as a single real-life person in spite of the apparent identity of the models that are multiplied in the picture. Even before the onset of any rational thought, this contradiction generates a tremendous suspense, which can only be broken, if the concrete form of human bodies gives way to their perception as a pattern repeat. Accompanied both by the fascination and horror of uniform, well-disciplined crowds of people, an ambivalent field opens up, full of associations, ranging from the military to prisoners’ camps, sports and variety shows. After a series of other works, in which Claudia Rogge further explored the topic of pattern formation, by arranging figures and parts of the body into ornamental configurations, which, as installations, could then be used to decorate walls and floors of rooms, in her current pictures she now differentiates the crowd in a new way. The pictures at the U N I F O R M exhibition no longer depict single models in largely static constellations. Her new pictures are characterised by an encounter of different protagonists in spaces full of action and determined by movements. For this purpose, she took pictures of her models in several postures and in different sequences of movements, a process, which increased Claudia Rogge’s workload tremendously, since she now had to look at about 10,000 pictures, select them, and process them on a computer for photo-mounting. Her photographic work was preceded by an analysis of masses with a view to identifying basic role patterns, which the protagonists of her pictures embody as role models. These protagonists form the iconographical background for a deeper understanding of her pictures, in analogy with the personifications of an allegorical concept, which was used in the Occident to illustrate types of being, types of action, and ethical concepts. Claudia Rogge’s prototypes carry poetically sounding names that convey their meaning. Names like the female catcher of souls, the criminal, the icon, the relevant man, the woman that is being evaluated, the unworthy, the conservative woman, the spiritual man, the follower, the intruder, and the one who passes judgment. This does not mean that these prototypes are tied to a specific gender, nor does Claudia Rogge claim that they all exist in their pure form. In real life, these prototypical aspects always exist in a mix, and yet often individual aspects dominate and determine the perception of others and one’s self-perception and define the position and the action of the individual within a crowd. Like in her “rapport” series of pictures, spatiality is created by the arrangement of the figures inside the space of the picture and through the perspective she chose for the shot. But from picture to picture, this arrangement follows a different, complex choreography. The picture, in which Claudia Rogge simulates a Mexican wave, forces the viewer to envisage a grand stand full of naked protagonists. Her pictures, in which persons are running towards a centre, or away from it, however, point to a space with an oblique upward inclination. In other pictures, plane surfaces are the ground, on which the figures are placed inside the space. The lighting atmosphere is dominated by a dramatic setting of light against dark, which reminds us of the tradition of Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro, and instils a stage-like presence into the situations she depicts. Of equal importance is the flesh colour of the skin of her naked prototypes, above all in relation to the apparel of the others, which follows an almost monochrome scale of mostly dark hues. Whereas one part of Claudia Rogge’s prototypes are defined – in Gottfried Keller’s spirit - by the clothing they wear, by the costumes that reflect their role in society, the other part is defined by their bodies, which describe them in part, in the double sense of the word. Thus, sections from Robert Musil’s novel “Man without Qualities” cover the body of the unworthy. In addition, others are permanently marked with tattoos. These characters, which run in parallel across the bodies, can be perceived as a pattern that resembles a leopard’s skin. And in this way, groups of naked bodies, sitting or crawling on the ground, acquire an animal expression, which may even become threatening when they move towards the onlooker. The different pictures in the U N I F O R M exhibition, whose protagonists are presented individually in separate and full frontal pictures in a separate section, can be interpreted as specific patterns of social interaction within a crowd. Not only individuals can be role models for a pattern that questions their own individuality; also when acting what is perceived by society as our own free will, we very often follow well-established rules, which sheds a critical light on the highly-praised freedom of decision. And these questions are up for discussion. But Claudia Rogge’s pictures are not just limited to this; over and above their critical potential, they have an aesthetic power, and maybe she herself appears as a seductress in them, since searching for ugliness in her pictures would be in vain… Thomas W. Kuhn



./ Participating artists


Claudia Rogge


Exhibitions overview

 
  Amparo Sard | Fuzzy Objectives
Nov 16, 2024 - Jan 25, 2025


 
  Frank Bauer | Herringbone parquet and other problems
Sepr 28, 2024 - Nov 09, 2024


 
  Tenda Lomba | This Wonderful World
Aug 24, 2024 - Sepr 21, 2024


 
  SELECTION 2024
Jun 18, 2024 - Jul 06, 2024


 
  Jurriaan Molenaar | BAUHAUS + GRAUHAUS
Apr 20, 2024 - Jun 08, 2024


 
  Michael Tolloy | ANDROS + GYNE
Feb 17, 2024 - Apr 06, 2024


 
  Idowu Oluwaseun | PEDESTAL
Dec 09, 2023 - Feb 10, 2024


 
  SELECTION 2023
Nov 10, 2023 - Dec 02, 2023


 
  Harding Meyer | Audience
Aug 26, 2023 - Nov 04, 2023


 
  Summer Break
Jul 11, 2023 - Aug 22, 2023


 
  Flávia Junqueira | Symphony of Illusions
Jun 10, 2023 - Jul 08, 2023


 
  Fransix Tenda Lomba | Historical Shock
Apr 22, 2023 - Jun 03, 2023


 
  Till Freiwald | Echo
Jan 28, 2023 - Mar 31, 2023


 
  SELECTION | Part 2
Dec 16, 2022 - Jan 21, 2023


 
  Daniel Heil | Wheel of Dharma
Nov 05, 2022 - Dec 03, 2022


 
  Claudia Rogge | WARP and WEFT
Aug 27, 2022 - Oct 29, 2022


 
  Éder Oliveira | Oposición
Jun 24, 2022 - Jul 30, 2022


 
  Fábio Baroli | Where the wind turns
May 06, 2022 - Jun 18, 2022


 
  Frank Bauer | Bilder vom Verschwinden
Mar 12, 2022 - Apr 30, 2022


 
  Selection
Feb 08, 2022 - Mar 05, 2022


 
  Harding Meyer | known unknowns
Oct 29, 2021 - Dec 18, 2021


 
  Kate Waters | It takes one to know one
Aug 27, 2021 - Oct 23, 2021


 
  Giacomo Costa | Atmospheres
May 28, 2021 - Jul 03, 2021


 
  Idowu Oluwaseun | REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE: a synthesis of time and sound
Oct 30, 2020 - Dec 12, 2020


 
  Peter Uka | Inner Frame
Aug 28, 2020 - Oct 24, 2020


 
  Harding Meyer | new works
Jun 05, 2020 - Jul 15, 2020


 
  Mary A. Kelly | Chair
Mar 14, 2020 - May 30, 2020


 
  Michael Tolloy | Solid Solidarity
Jan 17, 2020 - Feb 29, 2020


 
  Kate Waters | Love Shacks and other Hideouts
Oct 18, 2019 - Jan 09, 2020


 
  Frank Bauer | Paths of Inaccuracy
Aug 30, 2019 - Oct 12, 2019


 
  Christian Bazant-Hegemark | Kindness of Strangers
Jun 07, 2019 - Jul 13, 2019


 
  Sandra Ackermann | Escape into your Reality
May 03, 2019 - Jun 01, 2019


 
  Kay Kaul | Cloudbusting
Mar 08, 2019 - Apr 27, 2019


 
  Jurriaan Molenaar | Fermate
Jan 18, 2019 - Mar 02, 2019


 
  Harding Meyer / Humanize
Oct 19, 2018 - Jan 12, 2019


 
  Mihoko Ogaki / Soft Landing
Aug 31, 2018 - Oct 13, 2018


 
  Peter Uka / Fragment of the Present Passed
Apr 13, 2018 - May 26, 2018


 
  Daniel Heil / Monologues
Mar 09, 2018 - Apr 07, 2018


 
  Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2018
Feb 16, 2018 - Feb 18, 2018


 
  Sandra Senn / Zwischen Zwei Meeren
Jan 26, 2018 - Mar 03, 2018


 
  Frank Bauer / Die Gelassenheit der Dinge
Nov 17, 2017 - Jan 20, 2018


 
  Kate Waters / Whistling In The Dark
Sepr 01, 2017 - Nov 11, 2017


 
  Untitled
Jul 12, 2017 - Aug 02, 2017


 
  Davide La Rocca / 13K ( Part 1 )
May 12, 2017 - Jun 27, 2017


 
  Sandra Ackermann / Lost in Nothingness
Mar 24, 2017 - May 06, 2017


 
  Claudia Rogge / CONCENTRATION
Jan 27, 2017 - Mar 18, 2017


 
  Christian Bazant - Hegemark / The Rise and Fall of Transformative Hopes and Expectations
Nov 11, 2016 - Jan 21, 2017


 
  Harding Meyer / The Others
Aug 26, 2016 - Nov 05, 2016


 
  Crossing Borders
Jun 03, 2016 - Jul 15, 2016


 
  Sandra Senn / Flüchtiges Getriebe
Apr 08, 2016 - May 21, 2016


 
  Corrado Zeni / Éloge de la fuite
Nov 27, 2015 - Jan 09, 2016


 
  Claudia Rogge / PerSe
Oct 16, 2015 - Nov 21, 2015


 
  Kate Waters // Tell it like it is
Aug 28, 2015 - Oct 10, 2015


 
  Visions Of Sensory Space ( by Weightless Artists Association - SPARTNIC )
May 15, 2015 - Jul 04, 2015


 
  Sandra Ackermann / Wasteland
Mar 13, 2015 - May 02, 2015


 
  Lost Scapes
Jan 30, 2015 - Mar 07, 2015


 
  Christian Bazant-Hegemark / Calibrating Aesthetics
Nov 14, 2014 - Jan 17, 2015


 
  Frank Bauer / Back to Basics
Aug 29, 2014 - Nov 08, 2014


 
  Harding Meyer // recent paintings
May 23, 2014 - Aug 23, 2014


 
  Till Freiwald - memoria
Apr 11, 2014 - May 17, 2014


 
  Quadriennale Düsseldorf 2014 / Gallery Evening
Apr 05, 2014 - Apr 05, 2014


 
  Giacomo Costa // Traces
Nov 22, 2013 - Jan 11, 2013


 
  DC-Open Galleries: Matthias Danberg - Inventory by Appropriation
Sepr 06, 2013 - Nov 16, 2013


 
  Christian Bazant-Hegemark // VOW OF SILENCE
May 24, 2013 - Aug 20, 2013


 
  Corrado Zeni // Generation Why
Apr 12, 2013 - May 18, 2013


 
  behind the Non-Colours
Mar 22, 2013 - Apr 06, 2013


 
  Sandra Ackermann // Running to stand still
Feb 15, 2013 - Mar 16, 2013


 
  Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2013
Feb 01, 2013 - Feb 09, 2013


 
  Mihoko Ogaki // Star Tales - White Floating
Nov 30, 2012 - Jan 31, 2013


 
  Claudia Rogge / Lost in Paradise
Oct 12, 2012 - Nov 24, 2012


 
  Harding Meyer // features
Sepr 07, 2012 - Oct 06, 2012


 
  Summer 2012 - Part 2
Aug 10, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012


 
  Summer 2012
Jul 06, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012


 
  Maria Friberg // The Painting Series
May 11, 2012 - Jun 23, 2012


 
  Mary A. Kelly // Father & Child
Mar 30, 2012 - May 06, 2012


 
  Maia Naveriani // Future Wolves and Chicks so far
Feb 10, 2012 - Mar 24, 2012


 
  Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2012
Feb 04, 2012 - Feb 08, 2012


 
  Kate Waters // The Air that I breathe
Dec 09, 2011 - Jan 28, 2012


 
  Frank Bauer / ...den Wald vor lauter Bäumen....
Nov 04, 2011 - Dec 03, 2011


 
  Claudia Rogge // Final Friday
Sepr 09, 2011 - Oct 29, 2011


 
  Davide La Rocca - STILLS
May 27, 2011 - Jul 16, 2011


 
  Giacomo Costa // Post Natural
Apr 01, 2011 - May 21, 2011


 
  Harding Meyer - to be a real vision
Feb 18, 2011 - Mar 26, 2011


 
  Shannon Rankin - Disperse / Displace
Dec 03, 2010 - Feb 12, 2011


 
  Sandra Ackermann // I look inside you
Oct 15, 2010 - Nov 27, 2010


 
  Amparo Sard / AT THE IMPASSE
Sepr 03, 2010 - Oct 09, 2010


 
  Kate Waters // The Land of Kubla Khan
Jun 11, 2010 - Jul 17, 2010


 
  Jurriaan Molenaar // Lessness
Apr 30, 2010 - Jun 05, 2010


 
  Claudia Rogge // The Paradise of the Onlooker
Mar 05, 2010 - Apr 24, 2010


 
  Ivonne Thein // incredible me
Jan 22, 2010 - Feb 27, 2010


 
  Frank Bauer // Jet Set
Nov 27, 2009 - Jan 15, 2010


 
  Michael Koch // forever more
Oct 23, 2009 - Nov 21, 2009


 
  Masaharu Sato // SIGNS
Sepr 04, 2009 - Oct 17, 2009


 
  Harding Meyer // blind date
Jun 19, 2009 - Aug 22, 2009


 
  Maria Friberg // way ahead
Apr 24, 2009 - Jun 13, 2009


 
  Claudia Rogge - The Opening
Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009


 
  Claudia Rogge // Isolation ( aus: Segment 8 - die Blasen der Gesellschaft)
Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009


 
  JoJo Tillmann // What you see is what you get
Jan 30, 2009 - Feb 28, 2009


 
  Sandra Ackermann // Die Wirklichkeit ist nicht die Wahrheit
Nov 21, 2008 - Jan 24, 2009


 
  Kate Waters - Getting used to the 21st Century
Oct 10, 2008 - Nov 15, 2008


 
  Mihoko Ogaki - Milky Ways
Sepr 04, 2008 - Oct 04, 2008


 
  Summer 2008 // Painting
Aug 12, 2008 - Aug 30, 2008


 
  Silke Rehberg: Stationen 1,4,6,7,11,12,13,14
Jun 13, 2008 - Jul 12, 2008


 
  Maia Naveriani: At home with good ideas
May 09, 2008 - Jun 07, 2008


 
  Justin Richel: Rise and Fall
Apr 04, 2008 - May 03, 2008


 
  Davide La Rocca - Strange Object
Feb 08, 2008 - Mar 28, 2008


 
  Frank Bauer: AkikoAlinaAlinkaAndrew....
Nov 30, 2007 - Feb 02, 2008


 
  Maria Friberg: Fallout
Oct 12, 2007 - Nov 24, 2007


 
  Harding Meyer / in sight
Sepr 06, 2007 - Oct 11, 2007


 
  SUMMER '07
Jul 17, 2007 - Sepr 01, 2007


 
  Kay Kaul - Wasserfarben
Jun 15, 2007 - Jul 14, 2007


 
  Sandra Ackermann - Point Blank
Mar 02, 2007 - Apr 28, 2007


 
  Tamara K.E.: pioneers -none of us and somewhere else
Jan 19, 2007 - Feb 24, 2007


 
  Till Freiwald
Nov 17, 2006 - Jan 13, 2007


 
  Claudia Rogge: U N I F O R M
Sepr 01, 2006 - Nov 11, 2006


 
  Kate Waters: Killing Time
May 05, 2006 - Jun 17, 2006


 
  Katia Bourdarel: The Flesh of Fairy Tales
Mar 31, 2006 - Apr 29, 2006


 
  Mihoko Ogaki
Feb 10, 2006 - Mar 18, 2006


 
  Silke Rehberg: RICOMINCIARE DAL CORPO
Jan 27, 2006 - Feb 26, 2006


 
  Sandra Ackermann
Dec 08, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006


 
  Corrado Zeni
Dec 04, 2005 - Jan 11, 2006


 
  Frank Bauer
Nov 18, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006


 
  Harding Meyer
Oct 07, 2005 - Nov 12, 2005


 
  AUFTAKT
Sepr 02, 2005 - Oct 01, 2005


 
  Claudia Rogge: Rapport
Jun 17, 2005 - Jul 20, 2005


 
 
May 13, 2005 - Jun 11, 2005


 
  Kate Waters: Solo-Exhibition in the Gallery Thomas Cohn, Sao Paulo
Apr 16, 2005 - May 20, 2005


 
  Vittorio Gui: FROZEN MOMENTS
Apr 08, 2005 - May 07, 2005


 
  Kay Kaul - ARTSCAPES
Apr 03, 2005 - May 29, 2005


 
  SEO Geheimnisvoller Blick
Mar 04, 2005 - Apr 02, 2005


 
  Claudia van Koolwijk at Museum Bochum
Feb 26, 2005 - Apr 17, 2005


 
  Corrado Zeni - Six Degrees of Separation
Nov 26, 2004 - Jan 15, 2005


 
  Maia Naveriani: What' s the difference between ME and YOU?
Oct 15, 2004 - Nov 20, 2004


 
  Tamara K.E.: MAD DONNA AND DONNA CORLEONE
Sepr 03, 2004 - Oct 09, 2004


 
  Davide La Rocca: Real Vision Reflex
Jun 12, 2004 - Jul 17, 2004


 
  Kay Kaul COLLECTORSCAPES
Apr 23, 2004 - Jun 05, 2004