Martin Brand: CAUSALITY AND MEANING

CAUSALITY AND MEANING consists of a fast clocked sequence of a total of 635 image files, which – isolated against a white background – show logos, symbols, graphics, internet memes, illustrations and product images. In terms of content, questions arise on topics such as transhumanism, right-wing internet and meme culture, white supremacy, anti-feminism and men's rights movement, macho culture and chauvinism, unbroken masculinity stereotypes, neoliberal consumption and violence-oriented entertainment culture. On the auditory level, a composition by the trombonist and experimental musician Matthias Muche, who lives in Cologne, can be heard, accompanied by spoken words by the British composer Anthony Moore. The sounds made with the trombone in connection with the distorted-sounding and not always understandable male voice of Moore seem to comment on the picture sequence or even to illustrate the content, sometimes they work against it in their own way and assert themselves as an autonomous part of the work. (Martin Brand)

 

Martin Brand was born in Bochum, Germany, in 1975, and studied Art and German philology in Bochum and Dortmund until 2002. He lives and works in Cologne.

In his artistic work, he deals with social and political issues, which he explores with filmic and photographic means. The starting point for him are often phenomena, that he finds disturbing, irritating and unsettling, but at the same time also attracts and fascinates him. Starting from the surface, he tries to reveal connections and structures, to look behind the façade, and ultimately to confront the viewer with a counterpart, challenging him to a critical confrontation. Topics such as youth and subculture, the search for identity, violence, gender stereotypes, orientation on role models, influence by mass media and advertising, group hierarchies and mechanisms are central to his work.

His works have been shown at numerous exhibitions and festivals and are part of various art collections such as the Goetz Collection in Munich, the Museum Ostwall in Dortmund or the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt. He received project grants and scholarships and was awarded for his work several times.

 

Image credit: © Martin Brand, VG Bild-Kunst