Catalogue > Un extrait vidéo au hasard

?Herbarium? is a cinematographic observation based on the changes in the classification of plants. Going from classical taxonomy to genetic data-storage, Visser wonders what is left when the plant its separated from its physical features. What is a plant to us, without the sensation of smell, texture and its visual appearance? In a long abandoned tropical greenhouse formerly used by the biology faculty of Wageningen University, during a full moon night, the dry plants are reanimated, in a visual language where nature is shown as an artefact, devoid of any natural context.

Barbara Visser researches the relationship between registration and dramatization. Her work is driven by fascinations around original and copy, historical narratives and constructed biographies, which she translates into subjective documentaries. By questioning the authenticity of images and their interpretation by the viewer, she influences the shape and the content of the work simultaneously. Projects are executed in an array of media: photography, film, video, text, printed matter and performance. Infiltrating into existing systems leads to a wide diversity of works. Visser has participated in the Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brazil (2006), Manifesta, Trento, Italy (2008), Architecture Biennale, Dutch Pavillion, Venice, Italy (2010), Art Biennale, Dutch Pavillion group show (2011). In 2011 and 12 she?s written and directed the film C.K. (2012). Awards for her work include the Dutch Cultural Media Fund Documentary Award (2010), the dr. A. H. Heineken Award for art and science (2008)
, David Roell Prize 2007, Prins Bernhard Foundation (2007) Barbara Visser studied photography and audiovisual arts at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, the Cooper Union in New York and the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. Since 1992 her work is shown internationally. Her work is represented by Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam.