Willem Popelier’s works on the mechanics of representation and perception of portraits have already been the focus of shows at the Fotomuseum Winterthur, C/O Berlin and Rencontres d’Arles. On the store display model of a computer the artist found a stock of 91 selfies done by two teenage girls. Popelier discovered that these images were the fruit of a precise selection since various photographs had been deleted from an original total of 153. He looked into the question until he found the [...]
Willem Popelier’s works on the mechanics of representation and perception of portraits have already been the focus of shows at the Fotomuseum Winterthur, C/O Berlin and Rencontres d’Arles. On the store display model of a computer the artist found a stock of 91 selfies done by two teenage girls. Popelier discovered that these images were the fruit of a precise selection since various photographs had been deleted from an original total of 153. He looked into the question until he found these experts of digital narcissism on Twitter and included copies of their messages in his installation.
“His focus is on the mechanisms and politics of representation. He researches the generally accepted ways in which portraits are used, and how identity is represented and perceived through photography. Thus his focus is mostly on popular culture, the ubiquitous image and its effects on society. His work is exhibited worldwide, published in magazines such as C Photo and Foam Magazine, awarded with several prizes including a C/O Berlin Talent, a Bronze Medal for Best Book Design from all over the World, and nominated for the ICP Infinity Award and the Prix Pictet, among others.”