Patty Chang

On display in the Showroom of the Rüdiger Schöttle Gallery are the latest works of the American artist Patty Chang (*1972). Known for her performances, video pieces and films, in which she deals with such themes as identity, gender, sexuality and language, Patty Chang devotes this exhibition to the querying of the given physical, mental and emotional aspects of work and production. The exhibits include a new video installation, photographic works and graphics. For her video installation, Patty Chang filmed people resting and sleeping at their workplaces, her intention being to explore not only the extent to which people are conditioned by the environment in which they work but also the reverse, that is to say, how our perception of the working environment is influenced by the people within it. Manipulated photographs of workers resting accompany the installation. The exhibited graphics* are composed from words and phrases embossed in paper and thick applications of intermingling colour. The words evolved from a collaboration between Patty Chang and the poet Thomas Devaney. For a period of two weeks they texted to each other during the moments between sleeping and waking, creating hypnogogic impressions.