Reflecting levels of order, surveillance and stasis, Otto's ...in statues, still image considers both the archive and the camera as apparatuses (or dispositifs), in the sense developed by the French philosopher Michel Foucault — systems through which knowledge is produced and power is exercised. The exhibition points back towards the “archival turn” of the 1990s, while simultaneously asking questions about the legacy of the record in a contemporary moment where misinformation demands evidence.
Working with video, sound and sculptural elements, Otto's installation centers on a montage drawn together using material filmed at two Portuguese archives, the Torre do Tombo National Archive and the National Archive of Moving Images. This footage is interlaced with voices gathered through interviews, descriptions of workflow and policy, and notes by philosophers and artists. A suggestive soundscape runs throughout, stemming from a coin spun on a glass table.
This exhibition is curated by Adam Kleinman & Joe Rowley and is supported by Kulturdirektoratet, The Swedish Arts Grants, Committee, and Air 351.