2010
Versions is an ongoing project by artist Oliver Laric, an eclectic collection of repetitive shapes and various images accompanied by a documentary-style soundtrack. Two Disney animation segments, Winnie-the-Pooh and The Jungle Book are juxtaposed to reveal the reuse of images by the Disney machine: the dark-skinned Mowgli and the light-skinned Christopher Robin perform exactly the same actions in space, modeled on the same animation sketches.
A manipulated photo released in 2008 to world media by the Iranian Council of Islamic Revolution shows four Iranian Shahab test missiles launched simultaneously. In reality, only three missiles were launched, a fourth having being added using Photoshop software. Almost immediately, missile launching photos popped up everywhere on the Internet, numerous variations on the “original” launch photo. Laric meticulously collects these variations and exhibits them one by one.
Laric’s body of work examines the potential of image reproduction, pirating, and remix, exploring their role in the creation of historical and contemporary cultures. Blurring the lines to threaten the very notion of origin, Laric’s work presents layers of objects that were appropriated for various purposes. It oscillates between past and present, authentic and fake, the reflection of the original and its rearrangements, obscuring boundaries to the point of undoing the very notion of originality.
The CDA's archives are operating with the support of the Ostrovsky Family Fund and Artis
