Apparition of Virgin Mary

Sandra Sterle creates fantastic and enigmatic personas in her practice of
video, media installation, web projects, photography and performance. For
Sterle, the identity of the medium itself can be multiple, as she explores how
the lives of ephemeral, process-oriented works of art are affected, and in some
cases eluded, by sophisticated modes of documentation.
In the performance Apparition of the Virgin Mary, the
artist, dressed as the figure of the Virgin Mary, stands on a postament made up
of a pile of free supermarket catalogues, such as those we so frequently find
in front of our doors. After descending from the postament, the artist spreads
the catalogues around the floor and walks over them. The performance continues
after the artist sits behind the computer and engages with the virtual
character of the Virgin Mary in the game Second
Life. The audience watches the projection on the wall... 

“In the Middle and East European countries in transition, we have
specific relations between religious icons and social aspects of capital
accumulation. In many cities, new architecture often consists of new churches
and huge shopping malls.
Escapism from these living conditions is directed towards massive use of
new media communication technologies. Temporary, autonomous communication
platforms are turning into a therapy/confessional technologism driven by the
rules of social and economic control.” (Sandra Sterle)

Organisation: City of Women; In collaboration: Sonica – Festival of
Transitory Art.