Zohar Fraiman

Haus am Lützowplatz presents “Meme Me”, the first institutional solo exhibition by Berlin-based artist Zohar Fraiman.

Through a series of medium and large-scale paintings alongside two immersive installations, Fraiman illuminates our entanglement with digital devices and our perpetual quest for authenticity and the true self amidst all absurdities. It becomes evident that Fraiman’s painted protagonists struggle with being alone for only a moment, constantly tethered to smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. Whether sipping cocktails, indulging in cheesecake, lounging on sofas, or even in private moments in the bathroom, they seek reassurance of identity through screens, mirrors, or selfies.

The exhibition’s title, “Meme Me,” alludes to the transference of meme dynamics into the composition of Fraiman’s works. Drawing from Aby Warburg’s renowned pictorial atlas Mnemosyne, she taps into classical art history, diverse animated films and series, and the expansive realm of the internet, with its array of pop stars and celebrities, as an endless wellspring of imagery.

Dirk von Gehlen eloquently portrays memes as the “catchy tunes of the internet,” likening them to a visual melody that lingers in the mind. This analogy explains the widespread appeal of memes, as viewers delight in recognizing familiar content, adapting it, and thus subtly generating recurring symbolism.

Fraiman employs this approach in crafting her compositions, particularly evident in her portrayal of (groups of) people. Their deconstructed faces and bodies, usually composed of several people and characters, evoke a sense of photographic glitch, prompting viewers to question the origins of the sampled elements. Are these figures reminiscent of Zendaya and Taylor Swift? Could the composition have been inspired by a painting by Balthus? Didn’t the School of Fontainebleau also produce a famous painting of two women in a bathtub? The resulting juxtapositions invite contemplation, challenging the viewer to discern the interplay between familiar references and fantastical reinterpretations.

Her large-format candy-colored paintings, which suggestively bear titles such as “Split Me Baby, One More Time” (2022), function like memes that, beneath the surface of supposed nonsense, pose profound questions about contemporary forms of representation beyond gender stereotypes. Through the juxtaposition of female figures such as Sandro Botticelli’s Venus and the likeness of Britney Spears, socio-political themes such as changing standards of beauty are explored. In the large format painting “Pretty, Please” (2022) – named after a pop song by Dua Lipa – a figure engrossed in a phone conversation sits on a sofa, with the superimposed face of US rapper Princess Nokia overlaid onto that of the mermaid Ariel from the Walt Disney animated film of the same name. Princess Nokia, known for her public acknowledgment of bisexuality and her advocacy for feminist and LGBTIQ causes, allows Fraiman to facilitate a poignant connection with 

Ariel, who is dissatisfied with her life in the sea and wants nothing more than to be human. Hanging above this comic-human mixture are fifteen portraits of people read as women, which convey common ideals of beauty and thus call them into question.

The artist often employs characters from animated films and series to offer commentary on the narrative depicted in the artwork. This is also the case in the work “Selma and Patty” (2022), where the two frequently depicted as unattractive twin sisters from the animated series “The Simpsons” are seamlessly integrated into a double portrait, resembling ancestral figures.

For the first time, Zohar Fraiman presents two new participatory installations that engage viewers in the process of creating the work.

The first installation, “Meme Me” (2024), fills the room with six painted wooden masks suspended from the ceiling by colorful strings, positioned before partially mirrored walls. Visitors are encouraged to stand amidst or behind the masks within the mirrored space, enabling them to meme themselves and become part of the installation. The mirrors, affixed to opposing walls, create an infinity mirror, visually amplifying the impact of meme-ing oneself.

The second room-filling installation in this exhibition, “Face Off” (2024), is likewise interactive. Guided along a purple carpet, visitors are directed to a 2.30 x 3.30 meter photo stand-in. Here, they are presented with a choice: to step behind the photo stand-in and insert their face into one of the existing holes or to remain in front of the installation and capture a photograph, perhaps with some faces peeking through the holes.

The perspective limitation, interplay of body and space, and vibrant palette evoke parallels with the fresco paintings of the early Italian Renaissance. Much like Masaccio’s renowned “The Tribute Money” fresco, Zohar Fraiman adeptly merges multiple narrative scenes into a visually cohesive composition, initially appearing as a singular, harmonious tableau. Within this painted realm, characters are interconnected, with Mulan from the Disney film taking center stage. Here, she is portrayed both as a young girl and as the soldier “Ping,” embodying her transformative journey to defend her nation of China in lieu of her father. This additive composition technique imbues the depicted figures with a sense of depth and immediacy, drawing the viewer into their compelling narrative.

Within the exhibition, the artist revitalizes one of art history’s oldest genres by seamlessly blending classical painting techniques with contemporary icons of digital communication.

As visitors, we find ourselves submerged in a vibrant realm of pop culture, where characters from Disney classics mingle with somber-faced pop idols engrossed in their smartphones. In the exhibition rooms, our faces and/or bodies become part of the whole scene and pose the question of our own position(ing) within this colorful hustle and bustle.