About the work

In an era witnessing the steady resurgence of authoritarianism, nationalism and racism the world over, Sarah Masüger’s delicate sculptures of human ears take on a stark significance. While many governments still seek to curb freedoms of speech, others perhaps exploit free speech in overabundance. As the line between ‘real’ and ‘fake’ news continues to blur in our over-mediated culture, and information spreading digitally is even more viral than disease, we live in an era where the power of the wrong word has more capacity for destruction than ever before. Fake news is but a new term for a tactic used since the dawn of language: propaganda. We hear it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly—but what defines us as individuals is how we choose to interpret, to understand, and to act. Shown in the context of points of Points of Resistance, Masüger’s ears bear silent witness to the history of resistance in the Zionskirche, and to the ongoing need for resistance in in present times.

– Rachel Rits-Volloch

Bio

Born 1978 in Zug (CH), lives in Zurich. Studied at the University of the Arts in Bern and at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam. Her sculptural works focus on the dialogue between fleeting material and the permanent as well as remembering as a process of distortion. Exhibitions include Migros Museum, Zurich (2014), Kunsthaus Zug (2015), Art Museum St. Gallen (2016). Awards include Zuger Werkjahr (2014), Cahiers d'Artistes (2014).