“Fictions and preconceptions already structure what we experience as reality. Objectivity and manipulation are certainly things that interest me.”
Working at the intersection of photography and video, documentary and conceptual art, still and moving image, I am interested on captivating explorations in visual ideas and broken storytelling. My work uses a range of digital and analogue media to explore the aesthetics of online consumption and performance, trying to doubt about conventional perceptions and inviting viewers into a realm where ambiguity reigns.
With the publication of the book Clouds and Bombs, I introduced a juxtaposition of appropriated and intervened digital images from the internet, blurring the boundaries between their reference and significant, clouds or bombs, but also of the source and authorship, original and copy. This project prompts introspection and compelling observers to question their interpretations of visual cues and at the same time their societal symbols.
Venturing beyond ambiguity, I embark in these days on a new journey through a post-documentary photobook and video work centered on the lives of a group of gauchos in Argentina, that at the same time they are also descendants of Danish immigrants, just like I am, but now I am doing it after living in Denmark for 20 years. This endeavor signifies a shift towards exploring the tapestry of cultural and personal identity, weaving together narratives that traverse borders and generations, and functioning as an intimate mirror of my own life and of many others living inside a cultural duality.
My artistic ethos resides in the fusion of critical inquiry and creativity, trying to craft visual ideas that challenge traditions and invite for contemplation. My diverse work is based on an authentic curiosity about the world and the other and how we are used to mediate it, a commitment to unraveling multifaceted stories, and a dedication to stimulating reflections through and about the uses and habits of these visual mediums.
Hein was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1971 and since 2006 lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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STUDIO JUAN HEIN
Astridsvej 57, 2770, Kastrup
Copenhagen, Denmark
T. (+45) 23 98 03 88
E. contact@juanhein.com
Social: @juanhein_new