FLIES ON THE WALL

An exhibition of work by: PAULA & HEIKKI HUMBERG

The MART Gallery, 190A Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6

Opening: Wednesday 30 November 2016, 6 – 8 pm

Gallery Open: Tuesday – Saturday 1 – 6pm

MART presents works from two Finnish artists, Paula and Heikki Humberg.

Paula Humberg’s works come from two intertwined series, Phenotype and Sidecatch. Phenotype consists of photographs that depict the average appearance (phenotype) of different invertebrate species and species groups. People often see “bugs” as repulsive mass instead of viewing them as individuals or even species. In Humberg’s multi-layered images the animal mass transforms into soft or even cute portraits. Sidecatch is a collection of insects and other invertebrates. The title refers to biological research in which insect traps gather unwanted sidecatch. Humberg uses this sidecatch, as well as farmed honeybees and smashed household pests for creating her own non-scientific collection. Through carefully collecting, numbering and pinning these seemingly insignificant animals Humberg wonders why certain species are seen more important than others.

Heikki Humberg’s Rooms of Truth is a photo series of the police’s interrogation rooms in multiple European countries. We see interpretations of interrogation rooms in movies and television shows almost on a daily basis, but how does the imagined space compare to reality? Humberg’s photographs show us rooms that are reserved for different purposes: interviewing suspects and victims as well as children. Despite being highly supervised some of the rooms come off more as surprisingly cosy rather than intimidating.

The MART Gallery
190A Rathmines Road Lower, Rathmines, Dublin 6