APOLLONIA T. BITZAN 
analog.apo
12 May-  21 August 2023


 

Apollonia T. Bitzan’s solo exhibition shows four thousand photographs of the last years. The exhibition walls are lined with 35mm works from the bottom to the ceiling. Simulating an intimate cave, a patchwork of reconstruction of time and the real. The viewers are invited to spot themselves, the roles are reversed but as the artist says herself, she is an active engaging part of the scenery, never an outside documenter. Challenged are thematics like social tightness, which never comes without exclusion, community, belonging, radical manifestation of a drive and the embracement of non- conformity.

Her body of work encompasses photography, performance, and video. Initially focusing on digital techniques, she quickly gained recognition for her ability to capture the essence of women through her portraiture. Bitzan's portraits establish a moment of mutual trust between herself and her subjects, resulting in intimate images that reveal the complexities of their personalities and experiences.

In 2019 Bitzan's artistic trajectory took a turn as she became enamored with the nuances of analog aesthetics and workflow, rejecting the notion of sterility or cleanness in favor of capturing hysteric(al) moments and emotions.
Her commitment to feminist principles is evident in her work. Through her photographic documentation as beeing part of Vienna's art scene, Bitzan challenges the cis-male perspective and redefines what it means to be a female artist in today's society.

Bitzan's participation in this radical feminist community has grown beyond the boundaries of patriarchal stereotypes and has given rise to a new era of matriarchal queer utopia/dystopia.
Having extended her practice to Berlin, Bitzan now resides and works in both Vienna and Berlin, with a particular focus on the surroundings of Volksbühne Berlin. Her collaborations with esteemed artists such as Sophia Süßmilch, Stefanie Sargnagel, and Lydia Haider speak to her ability to connect with other creatives and form alliances that strengthen the feminist movement.

She is currently planning on a photography stay in Chicago discovering queer collectives surroundings outside the rules of patriarchy.

Apollonia T. Bitzan (*1989) lives and works in Vienna and Berlin.