Grillen / Crickets. 2008. videos stills. DVD, colour, sound, 3:00 min. © JUDITH PICHLMÜLLER

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For the video “Grillen / Crickets” JUDITH PICHLMÜLLER ties the (dead) insect to an upright wire as if bound to a stake, wings and feelers hang forward, the explosives bound to its back, green foliage in the background. As soon as the flame begins to approach on the fuse, the insect begins to jiggle, white smoke clouds emerge as if in a time loop across the image, a glowing orange rain of sparks fills the image, a dark thunder spreads and culminates in a sudden explosion. The cricket lurches back and forth, and finally explodes, and crashes to the bottom.

Animals, usually insects, stand in for individuals and for society as a whole, in both JUDITH PICHLMÜLLER‘s photographs and videos. Insects carry explosive devices on their back ironically reflecting a tragicomical figure of the Political.

She is a graduate of photography and experimental video of the master-class at the HDK Berlin and has been attending the international Sommerakademie Salzburg. After studying journalism at Vienna University, she worked on exhibitions and in galleries from 2002 until 2008. She interned in Berlin and Vienna and consequently started administrating and directing the Fotogalerie Wien, where she also worked as a curator. Since November 2009 the independent artist holds an assistant position at the University for Applied Arts in Vienna.