New Years Address I, from the portfolio "Weekend" 1972

Curator: Wolf Vostell's "New Years Address I," from his portfolio titled "Weekend," presents a distorted portrait using printed paper. The work measures approximately 48 by 61.5 centimeters. Editor: It's unsettling. The distorted image, like a malfunctioning screen, hints at fractured identities and lost messages. Curator: Vostell, known for his involvement in the Fluxus movement, often incorporated television sets and imagery into his works. Here, the medium itself becomes the message. It critiques the increasing saturation of media. Editor: Yes, but also the figure at its center, a symbol of authority perhaps? The glitch effect renders the speaker unrecognizable. It becomes about the unreliability of the message itself. Curator: The materiality speaks to the reproducibility of images and their accessibility in the modern age, questioning the value and impact of mass media. Editor: Ultimately, I think it's about how technology shapes our perception of leaders and their words, blurring the lines between truth and noise. Curator: A potent reminder of media’s influence. Editor: I agree, a distorted, yet compelling, piece.