Playgrounds, 1995-2006
Basing his work on conceptually rigurous statements, Peter Friedl shows an extraordinary artistic talent for continuing the de-materialization process of the work of art, which began in the 1960s. Friedl asked himself how one can re-define artistic practice; how one can change it into a strategy for taking apart the established power. He asks himself what the word "genre" means today, and what levels of autonomy are both necessary and desirable for Art. His works reject being categorized stylistically or formally. They are "aesthetic acts" that offer a variety of ways to try and answer his questions.
Friedl creates open fields of action and symbols in which the viewer can piece together the many relationships that impart meaning onto his work. The artist plays with the meanings and functions of Art, relating them to other disciplines such as design, criticism, literature, etc. Friedl's works are the result of a theoretical and stylistic process that takes into account the pleasure and enjoyment intrinsic to their production.
In Playgrounds, Peter Friedl centers his interest on the representation of childhood by exploring a typology that directly relates to it: children's playgrounds. A double projection includes images of children's parks around the world dating from 1995. These images show us some generic places with similar typologies and design concepts despite their diverse social and geographic contexts. Friedl's work consists of a repertoire of urban social scenes, elements and eco-systems that appear to have solid rules in common wherever they may be in the world.
Most of Peter Friedl's works have a generalized universal dimension that is juxtaposed with another that is more intimate and personal. In this case, the artist questions the importance of the design and space allotted for children's play and the way in which playgrounds and their visitors interact with each other as well as with the space in which they find themselves. Friedl wonders if maps can be drawn and traced based on socialization; a stance his works support. His images tell us what a playground is, how it works, why many (if not all) share common characteristics, and what aspects differentiate them. This information, which is not always so evident, is secondary, though it constitutes a true reading of his works.
Technical details
- Original title:
- Playgrounds
- Registration number:
- 2473
- Artist:
- Friedl, Peter
- Date created:
- 1995-2006
- Date acquired:
- 2004
- Fonds:
- MACBA Collection. MACBA Foundation
- Object type:
- Media installation
- Media:
- 5 simultaneous slide projections transferred to digital archives and vinyl
- Dimensions:
- Variable dimensions
- Edition number:
- Ed. 1/1 + P.A.
- Credits:
- MACBA Collection. MACBA Foundation
- Copyright:
- © Peter Friedl
- It has accessibility resources:
- No
The MACBA Collection features Catalan, Spanish and international art and, although it includes works from the 1920s onwards, its primary focus is on the period between the 1960s and the present.
For more information on the work or the artist, please consult MACBA's Library. To request a loan of the work, please write to colleccio [at] macba.cat.
If you need a high resolution image of the work, you must submit an image loan request.
