The beginning of the exploration of the identity of the subject, the body and the skin, the largest human organ that acts as a contact between the inner and outer world, comes from the personal experience of intermedia artist Valerie Wolf Gang. For medical reasons, a large part of her skin had to be removed, which sparked her interest in this area of ​​research. With the project “Anthropomorphization of the topography of the world” the artist began to virtualize and digitally archive the environments in which she found herself with her “new” body.

In her latest art project “Symbioparasitism” Valerie Wolf Gang goes one step further. The gallery visitor is no longer just a passive observer; becomes an active participant in the virtual landscape created by the artist. Every step or action he takes leaves traces that permanently affect this landscape. The virtual forest to which the artist invites us is both uniform and dynamic, distant but recognizable at the same time. This space is not only a metaphor for nature, but also a space in which the artist spends a lot of time thinking and researching.

The project “Symbioparasitics” places the visitor in a virtual space where he can leave traces with his every step and action. These marks manifest as growths of organic masses that are modeled on the human skin texture. Just like in the real world, in this virtual environment, the human presence leaves lasting consequences. The project deals with the dynamics between man and nature, individual and collective, technology and environment. “Symbioparasitism” thereby raises fundamental questions about the sustainability, interdependence and ultimate vulnerability of our existence on Earth. It is a resounding look at how humans are part of nature and at the same time the irreversible impact we have on the environment.”

Author: Valerie Wolf Gang
Production: KIBLA
Co-production: Kulturno društvo Galerija GT, Verein für Internationale Waldkunst e.V.
Technical development: Žiga Pavlovič
3D design: Luka Zabret, NervousFX