Discover Miriam Bajtala's 'in meinem Namen' Exhibition: Video Art and Representation

Miriam Bajtala's exhibition 'in meinem Namen' (2013) delves into perception, representation, and the act of speaking about art. The work uses video installations to explore the artist's role and how her work is represented by others, juxtaposing different spatial and performative contexts.

Miriam Bajtala's exhibition 'in meinem Namen' (2013) critically engages with themes of perception, representation, and the parameters that define and alter them, such as space, time, and context. Her artistic practice encompasses videos, drawings, sculptures, text works, and performative installations. In 'in meinem Namen,' Bajtala investigates her role as an artist by contrasting her self-perception with the perspectives of four cultural professionals – an artist, a curator, a critic, and an author – each commissioned to write and speak about her work in her name. The video 'vier Reden' (four speeches) presents the artist herself, representing these authorized surrogates in their distinct roles, speaking directly to the camera or from off-screen. The exhibition also features the video 'Chor' (choir), where Bajtala staged a counter-speech by having a group of people, responding to an open call, perform a text she had written. This work, presented in the main space of the Secession, contrasts with the more intimate setting of the graphic cabinet where 'vier Reden' is shown. By projecting these two video works onto opposing walls, Bajtala creates a dialogue between the close-up perspectives of 'vier Reden' and the total view in 'Chor,' exploring the representational character of both the grand White Cube and the intimate Graphic Cabinet, and questioning the notion of the sublime versus intimacy.