Emerging from the Schlossgartensee in Karlsruhe, Obsolete Presence makes a striking statement. A giant hand, sculpted by Aram Bartholl, clutches a smartphone. It’s frozen in a perpetual selfie pose. This isn’t just any art piece. Obsolete Presence challenges us to confront our relationship with technology. The smartphone screen acts as a mirror, reflecting our own image back at us. The artwork premiered in 2017 at the Odyssey exhibition at Kunstverein Arnsberg. It later appeared at the Festival of Future Nows at Hamburger Bahnhof. The installation resided in the Schlossgartensee from September 11, 2020, to March 31, 2021. Bartholl, known for his work exploring the intersection of the internet, culture, and reality, prompts reflection. He asks us to consider how this device, once a simple tool, has become an extension of ourselves. Since the iPhone’s arrival in 2007, smartphones have revolutionized our lives. They are no longer just gadgets. They are prosthetics, connecting us to a digital world of information. Obsolete Presence highlights the constant stream of photos uploaded every second. Our reflections, once confined to mirrors, are now digitized and shared globally. This begs the question: as we document every moment, does our actual presence become obsolete? Bartholl’s art explores not just how we use media, but also how media shapes our perception of humanity.
Eisenbahn-Bundesamt Außenstelle Karlsruhe
Ever wonder about the silent guardians of Germany’s railway safety? Right here in Karlsruhe stands an office of the Eisenbahn-Bundesamt.