Selina Trepp
Virtual Exhibition (IRL)
April 15 - May 28, 2022

Reception: April 15 6-9PM

Press Release / Catalog

Lydian Stater is thrilled to present Virtual Exhibition (IRL), a solo exhibition of new NFT works by Selina Trepp. Through digital and physical artworks, Virtual Exhibition (IRL) explores ideas related to value, labor, objecthood, and the dis(connection) between virtual and material reality.

Capitalism is shit. This is the refrain about a third of the way into Selina Trepp’s film Virtual Exhibition, the centerpiece of her exhibition of the same name. Sometimes, it seems that even proponents of our current version of hypercapitalist production wouldn’t disagree with the statement. The system is working as designed. The shit is not a bug, it’s a feature. 

Selina Trepp has been wading through that shit for years. Developing an ingenious and ecological model of artistic production, her overarching conceptual framework, I work with what I have, is a decade-long project dedicated to never bringing anything new into her studio, constantly using and reusing materials. Trepp also cares deeply about accessibility and shares her video work en masse via her website, Instagram and vimeo for anyone to consume (she even includes process videos, a generous behind-the-scenes look at her practice). 

As one enters the gallery, they are greeted by The Gallerist, Trepp’s fanciful main character, both on the screen but also in physical format. Aptly deconstructed into a bench for seating, viewers are invited to sit on the remains of the film’s main character for the duration. Born out of necessity during the pandemic, Trepp created this virtual exhibition to showcase her paintings that would otherwise be unseen by anyone for who knew how long. In contrast to the lifeless viewing rooms proliferating at that time, Trepp’s virtual exhibition was meant to function as a work in and of itself. Through lively colors, playful gestures, and clever dialogue, Trepp allows the viewer to reflect on what gives artwork value, the worth of an artist’s labor, and how beautiful a painting can actually be. 

Now minted as NFTs, potential collectors can engage with the investment value of Trepp’s work at whatever economic level they can afford. An open-editioned series of vignettes from the film are available in a “Pay What You Can” format for the duration of the exhibition, the remainder to be burned upon closing. Also available for purchase are a smaller edition of animated GIFs, easily translated into a social media avatar profile picture if desired, or the film in its entirety, the first of Trepp’s films to be sold in full as an NFT. The beauty of blockchain technology allows for the works to be accessible by everyone, but maintains ownership for those who would like to support the artist economically at a higher level. 

One cameo-worthy painting is included in this exhibition from Trepp’s Dirty Drawing series. The painting reminds us that all of the work began somewhere physical, from the artist’s hands, to the paint on the brushes, to the computer where the film was edited. And while the original Virtual Exhibition film has landed again in the real world for a short time, it is concurrently being exploded onto the blockchain, continuing to blur the line between our virtual and corporeal realities. 

Selina Trepp (Swiss/American b.1973) is an artist researching economy and improvisation. Finding a balance between the intuitive and conceptual is a goal, living a life of adventure is a way, embarrassment is often the result. She works across media, combining performance, installation, painting, and sculpture to create intricate setups that result in photos, drawings and animations. In addition to the studio-based work, Selina is active in the experimental music scene. In this context she sings and plays the videolah, her midi controlled video synthesizer, to create projected animations in real-time as visual music. She performs with a varying cast of collaborators and as one half of Spectralina, her long running audiovisual collaboration with Dan Bitney.