Laura Giesdorf is one of ArtConnect’s Artists to Watch '22

Laura Giesdorf completed her Master's degree at Central Saint Martins in London in "Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies“ in 2020 after having studied photography at the Technische Kunsthochschule in Berlin from 2014 to 2017.
Giesdorf's works, in which she combines video and installation art, photography and performance, address the relevance of the cultural body as well as gender performativity with regard to identity formation. For this purpose, the artist uses her own body, thus combining the roles of artist, artwork, subject and object.

In the course of the "Gute Aussichten Award" 2017/18, Laura Giesdorf's works were shown in national and international institutions, such as the Deichtorhallen in Hamburg and the NRW-Forum in Düsseldorf. In addition, her work has been on view at Tate Modern in London and the Shanghai 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum. In order to make her work accessible to an audience without an art background, she sets up video installations in windows and executes guerrilla performances in public spaces. This includes measuring the Brandenburg Gate with her own body.
Laura Giesdorf lives and works in Berlin.

ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.

How would you describe your artistic style and what inspires your work?

In the digital age, the body is increasingly fragmented by being framed in various forms of displays. In my opinion, our visual consumption of framed bodies leads to an alienation of our own bodies and those of others. At the same time, the connection we make with people around the world through our eyes and fingers interacting with a digital device results in the exclusion of the rest of the body from the process of being together. In my artistic practice, I use digital forms of presentation that invite the viewer to relate them to their own digital interactions, but place their body at the center of experiencing and understanding my work.

In my opinion, our visual consumption of framed bodies leads to an alienation of our own bodies and those of others

How has your work evolved over time?

I started my artistic career as a photographer. It soon became apparent to me that my interest in performance and the inclusion of my audience demanded a time-based technique for communicating my ideas. I am still a photographer, but also a videographer. By working behind and in front of the camera, I formed a closer bond with it.

What message or emotion do you hope to convey through your art?

In my installations I often invite the viewers to leave their bodily comfort zone and therefore become activated, hence they leave the position of a voyeur and become exposed themselves. The effect that occurs here is that the digital consumer realizes that even being immersed in a seemingly non-corporeal world triggers physical activity. What I find even more important is the immediate connection of bodies as opposed to a connection over the internet. By asking my audience to assume certain positions with their bodies in order to experience my work, a sense of physical belonging is created. In my work "Secretion Window" (2020), I allude to the reciprocity of gazes between houses. The window projection shows close-ups of my eyes staring into the night, likely meeting the gaze of a viewer from their window. This moment of revelation, of the voyeur being watched, informs viewers that they are not isolated from each other, even if the comfort and security of their own homes and windows supposedly protect them. I want to promote togetherness, albeit in an uncanny way.

Can you talk about a specific piece or series that holds a special significance to you?

My two-part performance piece "körpervermessen" (2019) was a special challenge. The project deals with the relationship between environment, body and markings. I used my body in such a way that it became a measuring instrument for the width of man-made but larger-than-life buildings, namely the German Reichstag building and the Brandenburg Gate. The inherent absurdity of fragmenting the body into arbitrary units of measurement, and the concomitant manipulation of its natural becoming and form, is reflected in the instrumentalization of my body. During the performance, I exposed my bare hands and large portions of my skin to the floor. By standing up, lying down, and repeating this movement, I measured the architecture with my own body size. The width of the Reichstag is 58 times my height. I performed without permission and had to act quickly. After completing my task, I felt a mental and physical exhaustion such as I had never experienced before.

What does this work aim to touch on?

In my work it is my aim to appeal to the corporeality of people. I believe that the human condition is constituted in part by our connection with other bodies. Being corporeal, in an individual way, subject to one's own flesh, contributes to identity formation. However, feelings of alienation and dissociation are on the rise due to the digital age. In my work, I want to provide a space that allows the audience to reconnect with their bodies. It is meant to be an inclusive experience, which is why I also try to abolish elitist forms of art consumption.

What is your process for creating a new piece of art?

I keep a creative diary and a notebook in which I write down or sketch my thoughts. I am inspired by my own bodily and digital experiences or contemporary phenomena that friends discuss with me. I tend to let these thoughts grow on paper, the execution usually happens in the final stages of my process. Once a more concrete idea for a new work has formed in my mind, I like to research other artists who have worked on the same subject. It is important to know the work of one's predecessors.

How do you stay motivated and inspired in your artistic practice?

One easy way to motivate and inspire me is to look at other people's work! I enjoy seeing the work of emerging artists in small exhibitions just as much as I enjoy larger exhibitions in museums and established galleries.

How do you balance your artistic career with the business aspect of being an artist?

I enjoy working freelance as a creative director and writer in addition to my artistic practice. This allows me to independently develop my work, which is often site-specific and ephemeral.

How do you see your work fitting within the larger context of contemporary art?

I believe that one of the basic principles of contemporary art is to reveal the process of a work. The means of presentation, which in my case often happen to be moving image, should not only be tools for communicating an idea. In my opinion, it is inevitable to create a contemporary work that does not address its process and the media used. Instead, a work of art should combine the conceptual idea with the revelation of the process of creation. This is what I try to achieve in my work.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists who are just starting out in their careers?

I learned that it is crucial to deal with your own artistic style and persona as much as possible. Don't let your sense of self slip away by becoming inactive or being manipulated by trends in the art world. Your perspective matters and deserves to be seen!

See more of Laura’s work

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