Friedrichs Pontone is thrilled to announce the U.S. debut of works by German multidisciplinary media artist Philip Gröning. This momentous exhibition, opening October 5th, 2023, is set to redefine the boundaries of art and technology.
At the heart of this innovative exhibition is Gröning's cutting-edge work, “Oktoberfest Phantom”. "Oktoberfest Phantom" represents a groundbreaking leap in the world of contemporary art. Gröning, a visionary of the digital age, harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to craft an immersive experience that transports participants into the heart of Munich's annual Oktoberfest—yet with a haunting twist.
In this spectral vision, the viewer encounters a bustling festival devoid of human revelers. Gröning's ingenious approach to creating his statistical reconstruction of reality involves instructing AI to scour thousands of images and videos, seeking common visual elements. The result is a mesmerizing display of the festival's landscapes and surroundings, void of human presence save faint visual echoes of the crowds; here, humans are reduced to unidentifiable organic matter. Sculptures, which represent retranslations from the statistical universe of AI into our physical world, complete this digital archeology project. These objects appear almost as if they've fallen from outer space, providing a sensual depiction of the statistical concept of existence that forms the very foundation of AI.
Through an audiovisual collage of thousands of individual moments from Munich, the interactive experience immerses participants in a ghostly Oktoberfest, where they can vividly see and hear the bustling scenery and festivities, but the people who breathe life into such events remain tantalizingly out of reach. This poignant creation, conceived during the confines of lockdown, serves as a mournful recollection of a time when communal celebrations were a part of everyday life. As the influence of AI continues to grow in our daily lives, Gröning's "Oktoberfest Phantom" is a haunting commentary on the relationship between technology and human absence; viewers become voyeurs in a richly woven narrative—a spectral festival they can only observe, never partake.
Gröning's work underscores the intricacies of human memory and AI's limitations in recreating our complex existence. As he states, "An Artificial Intelligence was then given the task of identifying points constant in space amongst this immense amount of data. The AI fails in this task. The constant movement of visitors and the ever slightest movement of the tent roofs result in a highly fragmented, frail, ghostlike reconstruction of what once was the Oktoberfest. A statistical reconstruction of reality. Based upon the most personal memories. Surprisingly the mass of personal images results in an Oktoberfest devoid of any individual representation of humans."
“Oktoberfest Phantom” is, in essence, a true representation of collective memory.
"Oktoberfest Phantom" is just one facet of Gröning's exploration of burgeoning art forms. As part of the exhibition, Gröning also presents his remarkable series of works focused on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, jointly created with Rolf Muetze. Utilizing tens of thousands of images sourced from various social media platforms, Gröning conjures entirely new perspectives on this iconic landmark. Gröning's work transforms familiar places into ruinous and haunting statistical visions. The resulting images possess an eerie, almost spectral shadowy quality, seemingly floating in mid-air representing the volatile focus of the visitors as well as the century old cathedral.
Friedrichs Pontone is honored to host this trailblazing exhibition, providing visitors with a glimpse into the future of artistry in the digital age. In an era where technology increasingly shapes our reality, Gröning challenges us to redefine our understanding of human presence, absence, and collective memory.
