Syntagma
VALIE EXPORT
Syntagma, 1983
Film, 16mm, color, sound, 18 min Director: VALIE EXPORT Performer: Irmilin Hofer Photography: Fritz Köberl Produced by: VALIE EXPORT, Filmproduction, Vienna
GF0000228.00.0-1997
Artwork text
Syntagma is like a rigid gaze directed at oneself as if one were two persons—staring at oneself and the camera staring at oneself. Through these two eyes only the staring can be perceived, reflections of identity, the mirror as something impenetrable, like a veil being scrutinized. The more the mirror reflects, the more it moves into oblivion like an impenetrable object, even if it makes imprints of itself on pictures. “The connection of the elements of a picture implies its structure and its possibility, its form of representation.” (Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus 2.15) “According to this view, the representing relationship, which makes it a picture, also belongs to the picture.” (Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus, 2.1513) (VALIE EXPORT)