Heiner Blum
«Trading Eyes»

Most of these 322 different slides are frontal views of human faces; their format is circular and comprises the details of eyes, nose and mouth. Again and again, the flow of faces is interrupted with supplementary images of hands, eyes, mouths, crowds, clocks, explosions, numbers, water, or landscapes. (…)
A glance at the wall shows two large projected circles beside each other, recalling eyes. The projected images of the faces are in constant motion. They blur into each other in a constant rhythm of fading in and out.
Heiner Blum

While a student, Heiner Blum already began collecting an extensive archive of image and text materials (sketches, newspaper clippings, photos, advertisements, etc.), which he constantly expands and alters. It serves as the starting point for many of his works, including 'Trading Eyes': found, 'borrowed' material placed in new contexts, changed, distorted, and formally and thematically reorganized. This work – in part realized in the context of the Siemens Project Grant to ZKM – consists of four carrousel slide projectors loaded with various slides.