If a Flower Bloomed in a Dark Room, Would you Trust it?

Jakob Ganslmeier and Ana Zibelnik are an artist duo who collaborate on photography and video projects that centre on youth identity formation, particularly the influence of extreme ideologies on young people. They are interested in dismantling the visual representation of radical ideologies and how visual arts can counteract radical political narratives and increase sensitivity to social issues with conflicting perspectives. Their works were exhibited at FOAM Museum Amsterdam, Museum of Modern Art Ljubljana, Brandenburg Museum of Modern Art Cottbus, amongstothers, and more recently at the inaugural exhibition of the International Centre for the Image.

Their forthcoming book with Spector Books, If a Flower Bloomed in a Dark Room, Would You Trust It? follows the online rabbit holes developing from two mainstream social media trends related to self-improvement: fitness and spirituality. Edited by Elisa Medde and designed by Studio Sallali, the book brings together two converging narratives, Repeat After Me and Bereitschaft. They explore radicalisation from the perspectives of the body and the spirit as they are amplified by platforms like TikTok. On the one hand, the militaristic pursuit of physical perfection, as reflected in the popularization among young boys of Arno Breker’s 1939 statue Bereitschaft; on the other, the quest for spiritual awakening and the attempt to rise above societal structures, combined with the belief in being the chosen one. The book builds on extensive visual research into the image rhetorics used by far-right political groups online, especially those employing positive visual language to convey hate messages. To be released this Autumn...Read the full article in the printed issue. Get OVER Journal 4