Valeria Abendroth: Laboratorium suggerere

Valeria Abendroth: Laboratorium suggerere
11 August–9 September 2023
MMC KIBLA/KiBela

You are cordially invited to the opening of Laboratorium suggerere, an intermedia installation by the renowned, internationally acclaimed artist Valeria Abendroth, which will take place on Friday, 11 August 2023, at 7 p.m., at the KiBela Space for Art.
On Saturday, 12 August 2023, at 12 p.m., we invite you to have breakfast with the artist and listen to a presentation of her work.

INVITATION (PDF)
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION (PDF)

Take a walk through a medical development laboratory where reality and fantasy merge. The colors and smooth shapes of the room may initially make it look appealing, but on closer inspection there may be a feeling of discomfort. Realistic 3D prints of human organs designed for medical training are juxtaposed with art objects created by the artist. Compared to traditional anatomical rendering, the ability to manipulate these physical objects brings a new dimension of awareness of their properties – size, shape and texture.

A segment of this work consists of 3D-printed body organs, bones and veins, as well as abstract art objects made of artificial materials such as plastic, wax and silicone. These sculptural objects resemble prostheses, body parts and biological structures, but have no identity. In a state of mutation, they must be understood as the threatening beginning of something that we cannot yet fully capture and understand.

The artist wishes to create an impulse and establish an awareness of the current development and transformation of health and life science. The audience is invited to sensually capture this clinically artificial space through touch, sight and smell.

“Through my work I would like to activate the deep sensitivity of the human body: when we feel and touch, through touch we create a sense of self and a real spatial impression.”

Valeria was inspired to do this work by her participation in the Prime 3D technology team, which consists of >INOVA.DE< from Heidelberg (Germany) and >Create it REAL< from Aalborg (Denmark). The team is currently developing 3D printing systems for the medical sector with the aim of 3D printing body organs in soft materials according to patient records/CT-scans. This allows doctors and medical students to get a realistic and accurate view into and of the human body.

This art installation is the result of the S+T+ARTS Arts and Technology funding program, an initiative of the European Commission.

https://www.valeria-abendroth.com/

Biography

“I emigrated from Russia to Germany in the 1990s. I finished my education and got a job as a dental technician. After five years of working full-time as a dental technician, I left my job and went to study fine arts. My experience as a dental technician gave me a special perspective on the processing and use of materials in the context of art. Through sculptures, installations and video art, my art reflects topics about the human being, tradition and modernity, and has social and societal relevance. I am now holding exhibitions and participating in residencies around the world.
The emergence and growth of my artistic work stems from and connects with many other fields and sciences such as technology, psychology, anthropology, biology. My work is balanced between questions about the humanity of the machine and the optimization and technologization of the human body. I ask questions about the future development of the human body, the physical and psychological impact of society.”

< Valeria Abendroth: Laboratorium suggerere, 3D print, 2023. Photo by Valeria Abendroth

MMC KIBLA/KiBela, Ulica kneza Koclja 9, Maribor
Opening hours: Monday–Friday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturdays: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

* Terms used in this text that refer to persons and are written in the masculine grammatical form are used as gender-neutral.