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
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 |