Kasper Sonne ‘Untitled Sign No. 4’ Proposed work for the NEONS competition 2011. Fonds municipal d’art contemporain (Fmac) Concours NEONS (FCAC/Fmac) 34, rue des Bains 1205 Genève Switzerland
While the sign clearly appropriates it’s language and form from popular culture and the advertising industry, the semantic ambivalence that is at the heart of the work, sets it apart from traditional commercial communication. The words “belonging” and “longing” speak to us collectively in their simplicity and our recognition of them as stereotypes within our culture, but by erasing their immediate references, such as an identified author or the direction and purpose of the message, the statements are distanced from their origin, leaving them open for subjective interpretation. The statements oppositional status is furthermore emphasized by the design and placement of the sign – i.e. positive and negative, white and black, light and dark, day and night – and by deconstructing any apparent order or clear syntax that the sign may suggest, it’s possible readings are rendered both paradoxical and poetic. In turn, uncertainty and possible misunderstandings of the communicated is produced, and thus doubt and misapprehension become the core premise of the work.
Kasper Sonne 2011
Kasper Sonne ‘Untitled Sign No. 4’ Proposed work for the NEONS competition 2011. Fonds municipal d’art contemporain (Fmac) Concours NEONS (FCAC/Fmac) 34, rue des Bains 1205 Genève Switzerland
While the sign clearly appropriates it’s language and form from popular culture and the advertising industry, the semantic ambivalence that is at the heart of the work, sets it apart from traditional commercial communication. The words “belonging” and “longing” speak to us collectively in their simplicity and our recognition of them as stereotypes within our culture, but by erasing their immediate references, such as an identified author or the direction and purpose of the message, the statements are distanced from their origin, leaving them open for subjective interpretation. The statements oppositional status is furthermore emphasized by the design and placement of the sign – i.e. positive and negative, white and black, light and dark, day and night – and by deconstructing any apparent order or clear syntax that the sign may suggest, it’s possible readings are rendered both paradoxical and poetic. In turn, uncertainty and possible misunderstandings of the communicated is produced, and thus doubt and misapprehension become the core premise of the work.
Kasper Sonne 2011