SALZBURG.- After MUSA Vienna, Adam de Neige's exhibition “Seamless“ is on view at Traklhaus Salzburg from 28th of July until 24th of September.

On display, amongst other works, is a series of paintings. Genuine Lapis Lazuli on massive concrete – a visual and substantial relation of mere banality and elitist signification, of art history with cultural exchange and colonialism.

The roughness of concrete on one side, the banality of deep blue skies and realistically painted clouds on the other, both contrast with the historical and financial value of the radiating Lapis Lazuli blue.

Blue has always been a signal color: formerly, of powerful kings and clerics, more recently, of tech corporations like Facebook, Twitter or Microsoft, to whose corporate design the color is most vital. In the past and the present, Lapis Lazuli is one of the costliest colors, obtained from natural mines, mainly from Afghanistan. During the European Middle Age and Renaissance, it was only used for very important or sacred depictions.

Digital networks and data streams extend the global exchange of information and resources, structured by contemporary colonial policies, originating in the European Middle Age. In his installations, Adam de Neige combines what is one´s “own” (establishing “identity”) with what is the others´ (the so-called exotic), triggering a reflection on global relations.

Exploitation and non-equal trade relations fuel conflict, destruction of livelihoods and hence global migration. Migration may go unnoticed, yet borders hardly ever do. In fact, they often stay insuperable obstacles. Originating from the Mediterranean and packed in custom dispensers, Salt builds one of the exhibition´s installations. De Neige´s photographs on a row of salt dispensers may merge seamlessly, thereby creating a bigger image. Still, they are borders. Borders in a boundless blue.