Gaby Peters
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	Michael Pohl // myality
	Gaby Peters is a sculptor and videoartist. Living and working in Mainz, she creates mechanical objects from toys or every-day utensils and uses these as protagonists in her (video-) installations. These found and manipulated objects are put together to new sets, which develop their very own reality. Transformed into the medium video, the simulated creatures and actions seem to become real. Although, their artificiality remains completely visible throughout the videos, the pictures shown trigger an impression of the autonomous behaviour of the objects, which finds its way to the observer through his/her emotions. The installation untitled (fishes) (2007) acts as the core piece of the exhibition. It consists of two approximately 2.80 m high walls on which the projections of big, colourful, snapping plastic fishes, which are flying through the picture towards the observer, take place. Through its central position in the exhibition, as well as through its portal-like composition the artwork opens the exhibition space for the observer. The perpetually returning creatures peep out of the picture and whirl the observer with them. They overstrain the senses in their everlasting comeback of more and more fishes, which attitudes seem to alternate between and welcoming or attacking the observer.		Behind this central piece, wings (2006) is situated, in which a wind-up chick tries to get rid of the acupuncture needles that stick in its body, alternating between liberation and despair. During this Sisyphus-like attempt, the video triggers amazingly strong emotions, while the chick shakes again and again without ever being relieved. Social studies (2006) shows a population of converted wind-up machines in a terrarium. Through cut- and filming-technique, the impression of observing the behaviour of a strange species of animals occurs, which follow their own, incomprehensible patterns of behaviour. Maybe, it is these patterns that make these creatures particularly real. With testmachine (2007) we look at an object in a projection, which looks similar to a question mark. Like an absurd oracle it gives out a “Yes” or “No” every few seconds seemingly without any discernible system. A plastic toy serves as the basis of this video-work, which gives out its verdict when a button is pressed. Through the video-technical manipulation, this operating possibility is removed. Thus the object answers completely unquestioned, continuously with yes and no. Thus, it provokes the observer to complete the situation with questions of his/her own and to start to communicate with the picture.