Introduction

From 6 June to 9 September 2012, the Kunsthaus Zürich is presenting the first solo exhibition in Switzerland by the young Italian artist Rosa Barba. At the heart of the presentation is the new film work Time as Perspective, which is receiving its première in the Kunsthaus.

Born in Agrigento, Rosa Barba works with the medium of film in a literal sense, for instance creating sculptures made from 16mm projectors or using film strips as a material. The twin themes of language and time invariably play an important role. Language manifests itself either as subtitles or as a spoken commentary, creating a second layer that overlays and modulates the underlying images. ‘The orchestration of the images with sound and text levels gives rise to new images, but ones we do not see,’ Barba herself explains. She dissects the classic narration of film and instead creates atmospherically dense works that impressively combine analysis and sensuality.