Nora Turato. explained away

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is devoting the first comprehensive museum exhibition to the Amsterdam-based artist Nora Turato (*1991 in Zagreb, Croatia).

Every day, Turato uses her smartphone to explore the text hysteria that is circulating online. Fast-paced nonstop breaking news in adverts, in the press, literature, film, music and the social media. Honing in on specific content, she translates it into her script. She processes meaning, sound and the stylistic devices peculiar to the particular medium, rewriting the appropriated passages to create powerful narratives. On this basis, she authors artist's books, spatial installations, wall works, videos, audios and spoken-word performances.

The contents she presents range from wackaging quotes (text on food packaging that speaks directly to the consumer) to scientific studies, film dialogues and excerpts from comments sections. She negotiates social roles and our relationship to consumer goods, political or cultural views. This is not possible without some irony, says Turato, when Zen aphorisms are treated in the same way as the yoghurt-promoting Kardashians in capitalism.

The phonetic, semantic and pictorial qualities of the works fuse together in the exhibition. The focal relationship between image and text is flanked by gestures and embodiments in the performances. The spaces consist of modular elements that change with each performance. The result is an ephemeral tale that extends over the whole duration of the exhibition, incorporating art historical accomplishments of the 20th century and raising new questions concerning our handling of language.

Nora Turato. explained away is the seventh show in a series showcasing outstanding young artists. Works from the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein collection are integrated into the presentation.

The exhibition conceived in collaboration with Nora Turato is a production of Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, curated by Fabian Flückiger. A monographic publication and an artist's edition are being published to accompany the show. The exhibition is supported by Mondriaan Fund.

Performances