Speedshow Series S1E8: LARPGROUND

Speedshow Series S1E8: LARPGROUND
Works by: Max K Super, Kiarer Kristler, Yan Chmarau
Opening: Wed 22.05.2024, 19h
23.05. – 04.06.2024 | Schauraum Angewandte | Free entry

LARPGROUND
Notice from chilldren: Deer Nayghbors, on wensday 22nd May we want to play on this playgound later then usual. We want to apologize for the possible noises from us. Pleese dont call police, contact us in case of complaints. You can talk with us on our walkie talkies or our telephone.

PLEASE LARP THE BRIGHT FUTURE ONLY!

Dear Parents: Visitors are not allowed to make gun noises, bring toy guns or weapons (including water guns), make finger guns, play war, fight, wear black, wear camouflage print, wear olive green, wear Alpha Industries, wear light up shoes, wear prints featuring cars or other motorized vehicles, use he/him pronouns, play doctor, play family, no supermarket role play (small local business play only), simulate heteronormative marriage, no diesel toy cars, trucks or other fossil fuel vehicles (toy bicycles allowed), only medicated and 100x vaccinated children allowed on this playground, no pink, no blue, no neon colors, no barbies or kens, no endangered toy animal species (e.g. tigers, elephants, dinosaurs, bees, bears, lions, wolves etc.) including no gummy bears, no bubblegum cigarettes (bubblegum vapes only), no unlawful construction in the sandbox, no building sandcastles above 20cm (all others will be stomped), no soft drinks, protein shakes and zero-calorie drinks only, no polyester stuffed animals, (organic cotton fabrics only), no nail polish, no glitter, no crosses, and no carabiners.

Please note that your children will be shadowbanned upon breaking any of these rules.

LARPGROUND is a project by Max K Super, Kiarer Kristler and Yan Chmarau. It focuses on the ephemeral nature of childhood and youth while giving the viewer a glimpse of what the trio thinks of aesthetically when speaking about youth and looking towards a bright, colorful future unlike the one outlined in the text above. Eight pictures are the centerpiece of the installation. Every artist uses the medium he is most comfortable and proficient in:

Max K Super is a prolific photographer and multidisciplinary artist from Austria who operates, among other things, in the fields of sound, music, graphics design and concepts and is currently studying digital arts. His style focuses on clean aesthetics and a playful sense of color reminiscent of the 90‘s, refreshing the eyes of the viewer in an era of inoffensive, but dull design and boring, muted colors. He has selected three photographs from his back catalog, including one of a playground boasting his signature colorful style (2022), one of toys on the beach (2023) and one still from his hybrid series „synchronicity 1-20“ (2023).

Yan Chmarau, born in 1994 in Belarus, currently living between Vienna and Berlin. Yan primarily engages with found imagery to question reality and illusion in his work, reflecting on experiences of identity, alienation, and the collective longing for nostalgia. The post-ironic amalgamation of meanings and references to digital cultures gradually unfolds layers upon closer examination. The occasionally hysteric symbolism in his work creates an eerie sense of entanglement, inviting viewers to introspect. While Yan uses various mediums depending on the content, his art projects are predominantly situated in the online space.

Kiarer Kristler is a digital artist based in Vienna, currently in the middle of negotiating the terms of their divorce from the design disciplines. Having studied fashion design at the University for Applied Art and Design in Bologna and having worked as a graphic designer for the past years, they are finally freeing themselves from this unhappy marriage and ready to mingle once again.

The Speedshow Series is an exhibition format of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, curated at the Digitale Kunst Department / UBERMORGEN. In cooperation with MuseumsQuartier. Episode 8 features works by Max K Super, Kiarer Kristler and Yan Chmarau, studying at the Digitale Kunst Department.

Photo: © Max K Super, 2022