VIENNA.- LlE TO ME BABY showcases 17 artworks by international artists. It differs in medium and approach to the exhibition’s main topic, which is an invitation to explore and question terms such as truth and reality, production of information, bias, trust, social media, utopias, faith (etc.). This can be through a social, personal, religious, cultural, political or physical approach.

Starting with the illustration Sweet Lies by Lithuanian artist based in Vienna Ūla Šveikauskaite, she reminds us that a very limited and pleasant period of time, although most likely to end up in a harsh manner, seems more appealing than embracing reality. Jumping to a very different medium, we have a sculpture Boris, Dave and Maybe by British artist Ted Green. The sculpture reflects the poor attempts of securing a reasonable Brexit Deal. Maybe it was a good idea maybe it wasn’t. Either way, no one knows what’s happening.

Another piece also inspired by an event in their home country is News From Home by Vitória Monteiro. Her interactive video invites the spectator to reflect on the impact of social media on communication, politics and information distribution. In the age of #fakenews, a like button reveals itself as a political agent.

In her photograph series I Served You My Heart, Olesya Parfenyuk explores aspects of sentiments such as emotional binding, inequality, insecurity, being taken as granted, and addresses the feeling of injustice when giving so much but receiving almost nothing. Another photographer Asta Cink is searching for self-assurance through existential questions around perception of one's own existence, one's own body. One more photographer Jakob Gsöllpointner invites the recipients to get in contact with their own experiences of addiction and dreams in general in his Stardust analog photography series.

Artist Sarah Steiner has created a new generation of healing stones “Steine“ to explain that objects from our daily use tell a lot about our attitude towards the world. The combination of these elements create narratives and subtle notions of present ideologies. The works of Andrea Zapanta Scharf should remind viewers that things aren’t always as picture-perfect as they appear and that many things have a darker truth to them. At the same time another Lithuanian artist Iustas, in his series The Bro Code which is directed towards judicial systems around the world, portraits US Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh. In her video performance, Linda Steiner attempts to show visually how she feels when lying.

The short animation by Belarusian artist Natasha Moreno and Francesco Rosati reminds us that we live in the world of dogma, believing in perfection, and consuming ready ideas on a platter. Iranian artist Sepideh Hassani counterprojects stereotyped images and ideas as well as the critique of white, male, capitalist norms, while oscillating between humor and seriousness. Katharina Löffelmann explores the nature of the lies one encounters when dating in the 21st century, pointing out that in our mostly text-based and virtual dating practices these days there is a whole new field of questions we have to ask ourselves.

Verena Tscherner, with her interactive installation, visualizes how technical progress and digital exchange is unstoppable and picking up speed, minute by minute. Alberto Ash Santos, Srta. Doti from Spain, asks what if I confess a lie about us? What if this lie travels through the postal system, hand by hand, written on a postcard that anyone could steal, but just hidden by a sticker with the words HERE LIES A LIE. Another Spaniard Pedro Del Real in his performance invites the audience to participate in a sensory experiment designed to introduce the Rashomon effect. Lastly, Sarah Glück with Rafael Lippuner leave their installation Liquid Noise unrevealed until the opening evening.

LIE TO ME BABY is an uncomplicated explanation of lie and truth, and unintended confusion of what’s real and what’s fake.

Exhibition graphics created by Markus Tozzer.