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The Fortress of Solitude, Fabian Reimann

It could be so deeply romantic.

In the end of the 18th century an idea of the artist rose up, the lonely genius. Standing up for his mind’s and hands’ making, nonetheless liked or not. An artist preferring the studio to gathering with crowds of less enlighten beings. This being and becoming a “true artist helping the world revealing mystic truths” (as Bruce Nauman put it in 1967) was the idea of an artist in the age of romanticism. And all in all it was a short episode regarding the persona of an artist before and after that time.

Today it’s the enforced loneliness.

Artists’ appearances in public is being seriously limited. The nonappearance is out of the studio. The place place became enforced loneliness. It doesn’t feel like a shelter to many people. However. I was thinking about persons and places and me within. How extraordinary does it feel between the walls?

From different perspectives, forced or voluntary isolation leads to the formation of individual mythologies, imaginary museums, or hermitism. In terms of art, I have found a metaphor for a research-based work, the fictional place of the “Fortress of Solitude”, the only place where Superman doesn’t feel so much like an alien. 
This place from the pulp universe of comic book heroes is an oversized crystal palace in the Arctic, where numerous devotional objects from Superman adventures are combined with objects from human history to form an incredible museum. For example, the “Titanic” hangs from the ceiling in a hall. This museum has only one collector, curator, director and only one visitor – all are one and the same person. It is a place of thought and work, a laboratory and a studio. This huge chamber of curiosities is also a time capsule. This megamonomaniacal design is on the one hand absurd, but on the other hand it also presents numerous myths of unreachable treasure chambers or the artist’s studio.

Fabian Reimann (*1975) studied German language and literature, cultural studies and history of art, graphic design and fine arts in Bremen, Leipzig and Vienna. His artists work consits of several different media, often combined in narrative installations or spactial essays on topics such as nuclear research, espionage, the Cold War, post-colonialis or researching on utopia. He was co-founder of the magazine “Krachkultur”  the artist run gallery “Amerika” (Berlin, 2007-2007) and “Projekt Kaufhaus Joske” (Leipzig). Numerous prizes and scholarships.

Various publications, such as the egozine “freeman’s journal” (since 2004). solo publications all at Spector Books, Leipzig) “The Surveyor”, 2011, “Another Earth Catalog”, 2012 “Amateur”, 2013, “Space Colonies”, 2017 and “The World Set Free”, 2018

www.fabianreimann.de

2 Comments
  1. jinnbug

    What a consolation we have (especially as artists) in being able to create our fortresses of solitude. I enjoyed your reflection. I’ve also been reflecting on what a towering companion imagination is this week in my VirtualSPAR.

    1. jinnbug

      I especially liked your imagining about the “Titanic.” Brilliant.

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