The artwork titled “Abstract” was created by artist Hito Steyerl in the year 2012. It is a video piece that is categorized within the Conceptual Art movement, which emphasizes the idea or concept over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.
As for the artwork itself, it comprises a dual-image composition. On one side, an individual is portrayed with a smartphone held up to their face, centrally aligning the device’s screen with their eyes. The device’s screen displays what appears to be a barren, possibly war-torn landscape. The context is grim, likely a commentary on contemporary socio-political issues, engaging the observer’s perception of reality as mediated by technology.
On the other side, the framing is similar, with a handheld device centering a portion of its surroundings in its screen. The repeated motif of a device framing a view emphasizes the mediation of experiences through technology. This setup appears to highlight themes of surveillance, the dissemination of information, and the impact of digital media on the perception of events and places.
Overall, “Abstract” provokes thought about the interface between technology, visual representation, and human experience, a hallmark of Steyerl’s oeuvre which often interrogates the politics of images and the proliferation of digital media.
