Anna Uddenberg
Anna Uddenberg, a Swedish visual artist based in Berlin, has recently become a TikTok sensation. But why? The artist has captured viral media attention by offering unique perspectives on social issues like the economy, gender, class, and labor. Her art, simultaneously terrifying and mesmerizing, has propelled her into the spotlight.
CLIMBER (Pierced Rosebud), 2020. Courtesy of the Artist and Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Berlin
Anna Uddenberg has garnered recognition in the realms of art, fashion, and social media. Particularly on TikTok, her performance video Continental Breakfast, staged at the Meredith Rosen Gallery in April, went viral. Initially causing confusion among online viewers, the addition of context drew an even larger audience, accumulating millions of views in the months following its debut. The solo exhibition at the Meredith Rosen Gallery featured pseudo-functional contraptions set against an all-white wall and blue-carpeted gallery space, illuminated by fluorescent lights, effectively satirizing upper-class aesthetic values. Performers, dressed in pencil-skirt suits with slicked-back hair, took turns in the mounting and dismounting of Uddenberg’s pseudo-functional sculpture—a futuristic contraption reminiscent of a dystopian film set for a hospital, airplane, or hotel. The performance resembled a demonstration, reminiscent of those seen before takeoff on an airplane, which made the crowd silent and compliant. Additionally, the ordeal of (dis)mounting the strange contraption, the look of the performers, and the way they were posed during the performance, introduced an element of voyeurism and fetishization, wherein the audience held the authority to observe something all-encompassing.
Journey of Self Discovery, 2016. Courtesy of the Artist and Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidle.
The highly anticipated Home Wreckers exhibition, revealed during London’s Frieze week in October, generated significant interest among art enthusiasts. Eager attendees formed long queues to witness a showcase featuring faceless, ghostly figures striking various poses. Uddenberg’s unique approach involves transforming ‘influencers’ into monstrous entities solely through visual arts. Her work delves into viral moments, contemporary consumer culture, and meme phenomena, reimagining them as uncanny expressions of visual art. Within the exhibition, sculptures portray bizarre scenes, such as a pregnant figure pushing a stroller, one sprawled across a table, and another taking photos of their genitals with a selfie stick. The sculptures, wearing Balenciaga crocs and paired with bondage gear, give off a truly bizarre aesthetic. While originally intended to symbolize a sexualized figure, the incorporation of grotesque mannequins, alongside other unconventional elements within the exhibition, takes away the sexual and alluring part.
Tanya, 2021. Courtesy of the Artist and Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Berlin.
A recurring theme in both exhibitions is the hyper-sexualization of the female body, showcased through contorted poses. However, the substitution of live performers with mannequins introduces an uncanny effect, a signature characteristic for which Uddenberg has become renowned. This choice serves to underscore the pervasive nature of the constant sexualization of women and female figures in various contexts, offering a thought-provoking commentary on what it means to be a woman in 2023. Currently, Uddenberg is preparing for more exhibitions that will delve into different social issues. A short film titled Useless Sacrifice was presented by the Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum and co-directed in collaboration with Thyago Sainte. This film, which premiered on December 14 on the museum’s YouTube channel, originated as a documentation project covering exhibitions at the Meredith Rosen Gallery in New York City and Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin. The film transforms this body of work into a cinematic form, featuring sculptures of both women and young men in adult diapers. What sets Useless Sacrifice apart is its portrayal of women in positions of authority, challenging and subverting gender normativity. Representing a significant milestone in Uddenberg’s career, this marks her debut in the realm of filmmaking. While the film currently lacks substantial reviews or critiques, its unique approach and subject matter could potentially attract a new wave of fans, further contributing to Uddenberg’s growing fame.
