In collaboration with César Escudero Andaluz.
Tenia Simbionte, drawing inspiration from Parasitism and Symbiosis, functions as an artistic project acquiring exhibition catalogs from museums to integrate artworks excluded from the curation process. The manipulation of layout, fonts, styles, composition, colors, and images is followed by the return of its ‘parasite’ to its original placement before the exhibition concludes.
Engaging in appropriation without causing harm to the host, Tenia Simbionte fosters a ‘win-win’ dynamic, creatively contributing while maintaining inconspicuity. Its critical approach examines institutional structures in the art world, including museums, galleries, and the art market. This aligns with the principles of critical theory, which analyze and challenge power structures and norms in various institutions.
Questioning the authority of the work, context, curators, and the art market, Tenia Simbionte challenges established power dynamics and hierarchies within the art world. Through ‘intervention,’ it disrupts norms, prompts critical thinking, and reevaluates societal norms and power structures, echoing the essence of critical theory and cultural studies.
Tenia Simbionte (2015) utilized QR codes in Austrian museums to enable interactive engagement with excluded artworks, highlighting the significance of representation and marginalized voices. This innovative technology aimed to bridge gaps in museum collections and emphasize social narratives.
Operating as a ‘parasite,’ Tenia Simbionte remains elusive, lacking a distinct identity, and meticulously dispersed. Its role within the symbiotic relationship with the host involves mimicking, blending, and creating while avoiding detection.
Installations:
«Tenia Simbionte: The found catalog», Act. 1. Der Nackte Mann, LENTOS KunstMuseum, Linz, Austria, 2015.
«Tenia Simbionte: The found catalog», Act. 2. Nackte Männer, LEOPOLD Museum, Wien, Austria, 2015.
«Tenia Simbionte: The found catalog», Act. 3. Slapstick!, LENTOS KunstMuseum, Linz, Austria, 2015.
«Tenia Simbionte: The found catalog», Act. 4. Interface Culture Musikkapelle, Bb15, Linz, Austria, 2015.