MARIE-JO LAFONTAINE - BABYLON BABIES

MARIE-JO LAFONTAINE (1950-)

Since her legendary performance of the video installation Les larmes d´acier (Steely Tears) at Documenta 8 in 1987, the Belgian photographic and video artist Marie-Jo Lafontaine has generally been considered one of the most important contemporary artists. In her newer work units she often explores multilayered topics such as identity, cities and their cultural space, youth and youth culture.
This is also true of her latest series Babylon Babies which comprises large-format portrait photographs of teenagers superimposed onto brightly colored monochrome backgrounds. With this series, the artist continues her iconography of children and youths that are beyond the usual clichés, a work she started some years ago. The viewer is confronted with independent young people whose photographic representation refuses any context and is therefore open to interpretation.

Exhibition Schedule: Städtische Galerie Bietigheim-Bissingen November 30, 2002 - January 26, 2003

Edited by Bernd Barde, texts by Christine Buci-Glucksmann, Hawa Djabali, Simon Njami, Paul Ardenne, Romuald Hazoumé