Playground Videos – Marck

Noted Swiss video Artist Marck puts women in boxes. Granted he does so by using screens within worked caskets that give a physical context to the subjects in the video, but the ‘interactive’ way the screens frame the confinement is telling. Naturally, he’s referring to the various states of confinement that constrain women in society and suggesting a objectifying voyeurism by the viewer. But perhaps it’s more than that – after all, while Marck’s the creator is he really the author of these narratives?

Exhibition Notes

Bluerider ART, a progressive gallery at the intersection of art and technology, founded in 2013 by Taipei-based IT entrepreneur Elsa Wang, is firmly setting down roots. Its impressive 2024 programme is proudly established at its newest gallery space in Mayfair, London – launching with its inaugural exhibition of the year, MARCK’s Playground, a solo exhibition of work by multidisciplinary Swiss artist Marck. This will be the artist’s first solo show in the UK in over a decade.

Having successfully established two galleries in Taipei’s city centre and a prominent presence in The Bund, Shanghai, in 2021, Bluerider ART has now set its sights on the vibrant art scene of London. The new Mayfair space, located at 47 Albemarle Street, is positioned as a cultural hub that resonates with art enthusiasts, collectors, and international visitors. The expansion marks a significant milestone for Bluerider ART, known for its commitment to fostering artists’ self-expression across various art forms, with a distinct focus on the convergence of technology and art. MARCK’s Playground presents a series of the artist’s strikingly inventive and mesmerising video works, framed in the context of his signature handcrafted sculptures. MARCK’s Playground runs 14 March – 26 May 2024.

Marck is renowned for his experimental works in video sculpture, which have been exhibited globally. Frequently portraying women, sometimes struggling or confined in narrow spaces, the works are concerned with addressing societal issues through themes such as hope and hopelessness, frustration and faith, freedom and grace. The artist’s use of sculpted metal frames to confine his videos function as metaphors for the boundaries women face in society, pointing to further questions around voyeurism and human interaction.

For MARCK’s Playground, artistic innovation and sensory delight converge as the artist unveils works which serve as a journey through which to experience a variety of psychological scenarios. Marck’s large-scale classic work Gegenstrom depicts a woman swimming in slow motion, expressing a desire for survival and exploration; Clockwork combines video and kinetic installation, provoking feelings of anxiety in its showcase of avoidance dynamics between a woman and a pendulum; while Phone Connected presents an innovative manifestation of global social network connections and contemporary social modes.

These video sculptures represent a societal microcosm, reflecting the physiological and psychological states of modern individuals across various social strata, navigating familiarity and unfamiliarity, and grappling with identity in time and space. Furthermore, the collision between subject and frame unfolds under multiple layers of constraints, illustrating how modern individuals traverse the boundaries of survival and respond to the limitations of existence – casting these questions towards the audience to inspire both resonance and imagination.

Marck’s unique approach to the combined disciplines of video and sculpture is in many ways informed by his unconventional artistic journey. While he initially enrolled in a prestigious, traditional art school, he soon left to engage, instead, in a series of diverse occupations, from auto dismantling and mechanical electrics to rock music and tech installation design. Marck also acknowledges deep influences from Fluxus member Nam June Paik, as well as Wolf Vostell, considered one of the pioneers of video art. For Marck, technology is both a means and a purpose, meant not to narrate a story but to evoke an emotion through a distinction between the virtual and the real.

Swiss art historian and critic Dr. Andres Pardey comments: “Interpretations may vary, with some viewing through a lens of objectification, while others analyse the visuals for signs of oppression and constraints. The diverse perspectives, ranging from open acknowledgment to clandestine observation, contribute to a unique interactive interpretation process involving the artist, the artwork, and the audience. Marck’s direct engagement with the external challenges and pressures faced by women in his works releases a spectrum of emotions, making his art profoundly meaningful.”

In addition to Marck’s exciting video sculptures, Bluerider ART invites visitors to gain a unique and immersive insight into the artist’s practice, with a site-specific studio installed within the gallery space. Audiences are encouraged to interact with and explore Marck’s creative working process in the playground, where the artist will also draw inspiration from his observations of local life, incorporating features and facets of the neighbourhood into his on-site creations.

Marck: MARCK’s Playground 14 March-26 May Bluerider ART London 47 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JW