10.05.19
News
Are selfies the new art? This is exactly what the latest exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery explores. Being one of the first exhibitions to explore the history of the selfie phenomenon and celebrate its potential as a form of artistic expression, we couldn’t help but check it out.
This exhibition follows success of the #SaatchiSelfie competition, in which 14,000 participated from 113 different countries. This resulted in a panel choosing only ten lucky British photographers to create ‘works of art’ using the swankiest new technology: Huawei smartphones.
Depicting the history of selfies, from the 16th century to the present day, Selfie to Self-Expression offers a somewhat satirical representation of what the modern world has become. The interaction with history is perfectly captured by renowned portraits of Van Gough to Francis Bacon, which are displayed on TV screens and offer visitors the ability to ‘like’ the photo, as they would do with Instagram.
As the exhibition progresses to the modern world, visitors are met with some of the most famous selfies of our time. With many visitors taking the opportunity to take a selfie with Kris Jenner taking a selfie, one cannot deny a hint of irony, and question the intentions of the exhibition.
As an instantaneous form of self-portraiture, they’re now an integral part of image-making in the twenty-first century, and ultimately, unavoidable. So, if selfies are the preferred form of self-expression for today’s millennials, how will future generations choose to present themselves?
Read more over on: www.saatchigallery.com/selfexpression/
