PROJECTIONS
Site-specific public space installation, 13-frame projected drawings, appropriated texts, Perla Mode Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland, 2008
Installation view at Message Salon / Perla Mode Gallery, Zurich, 2008
Installation view at Message Salon / Perla Mode Gallery, Zurich, 2008
PROJECTIONS (The project and censorship)
This public space project was made directly for the Message Salon / Perla Mode Gallery, which is located in the red light district on Langstrasse in Zurich, Switzerland. Projections
is a short cartoon strip of 13 slides showing a nude woman and a man talking, while she is undoing his pants. The conversation is comprised of appropriated texts from various sources including adverts on Switzerland, political campaigns and speech, media text segments referring to immigration. The form of the pornographic comics was chosen deliberately to reflect the area of Langstrasse with abundant prostitution, often performed by foreign women in difficult situations. At the end of the project (going every night for 10 days) the gallery was visited by the municipal “sex police” and was subjected to a fine for showing pornographic content in public. The gallery then contested the fine in the Municipal Court of Zurich.
is a short cartoon strip of 13 slides showing a nude woman and a man talking, while she is undoing his pants. The conversation is comprised of appropriated texts from various sources including adverts on Switzerland, political campaigns and speech, media text segments referring to immigration. The form of the pornographic comics was chosen deliberately to reflect the area of Langstrasse with abundant prostitution, often performed by foreign women in difficult situations. At the end of the project (going every night for 10 days) the gallery was visited by the municipal “sex police” and was subjected to a fine for showing pornographic content in public. The gallery then contested the fine in the Municipal Court of Zurich.
Due to the obvious absurdity of the police fine, the project became heavily medialized and the court procession was attended by an audience so large, it was necessary to book the largest room available in the court building. After several hours, the court ruled that Projections “is not pornography, but a work of art worthy of all protection by the society” and waived the fine.
A show was then held at the gallery recapitulating the project and the clash with the police over its content. The installation was comprised of the original Projections video, documentation and paintings commenting the outcome of the court case. It also included court documents, a video documenting the complete police action and a drawing from the court room as photo-shooting was prohibited. Visitors could sit down with the artist and gallerist Esther Epstein and discuss the various issues that surfaced due to the project and its aftermath.
PROJECTIONS (The Court Case), 2009
The exhibition recapitulated the public space project and the clash with the police over its content. The installation was comprised of the original Projections video, documentation and paintings commenting the outcome of the court case (above). It also included court documents, a video documenting the complete police action and a drawing from the court room as photo-shooting was prohibited (opposite page). Visitors could sit down with the artist and gallerist Esther Epstein and discuss the various issues that surfaced due to the project and aftermath.
Gallerist Esther Epstein questioned by the Zurich "sex police" after closing the exhibition down, 2008
Drawing from the court session where Esther Epstein was acquitted and the project officially labeled as " art, worthy of protection by society", 2009
Installation view at Message Salon / Perla Mode Gallery, Zurich, 2009
