Pauline Hafsia M'barek was the invited AMA artist at the Museum Ludwig for the fourth edition of the programme.
She studied fine arts in Hamburg, Marseille and Cologne. In her artistic practice, the body and its systems of perception are both an instrument and an object of research. By moving as close as possible to her subject, she exposes herself to precarious and unstable moments between observation and experience. The videos, photographs, installations or performative lectures that emerge from this open, experimental approach are not to be seen as completed works, but as transitional stages of artistic research in motion.
Entropic Records
A photo is not just an illustration, but a composition of chemical substances and compounds such as silver, copper, glass, salt and gelatine. These form complex, unstable image layers, which require protection against external influences by means of conservation processes. Pauline Hafsia M’barek takes the corporate photographs from the Agfa collection of the Museum Ludwig as the basis for an in-depth examination of this vibrant matter. As she does so, she explores the chemicophysical properties of the image and traces the photo-making process, which always delineates the precarious relationship between humanity and environment as well. In a multimedia assemblage, the artist interweaves photographs originating from the Agfa production site, toxic documents, and microscopic material analyses with film experiments on sensitive surfaces.
Pauline Hafsia M'barek Meets Museum Ludwig
AMA#4 Meets University of Cologne
Pauline Hafsia M'barek was interviewed by students of the University of Cologne in the context seminar “Artist Meets Archive – Artists in the (Photo) Archive”, led by Dr. Franziska Brons and held at the Department of Art History Cologne.
She talks about her artistic practice and her residency project, and provides insights into the creative process behind her exhibition.
More about Pauline Hafsia M'barek:
Participants
Between 2018 and 2024, 4 editions of the Artist Meets Archive programme have been realized so far. A total of 20 artists took part and presented their projects at the Photoszene Festival in Cologne.