Florence Lynch Gallery is pleased to present
"Guinea Pig"
by Gabriele Stellbaum, an exhibition by New York based German artist.
The exhibition is on view from April 25 to May 31, 2002.

The exhibition consists of one large slide projection and four videos.
In these recent works, Stellbaum uses animals to create a physical and psychological drama akin to human behavior patterns. In the videos, Stellbaum integrates the parameters of the monitor as a confinement for her "actors". The use of extreme close ups, hide-and-seek scenarios beyond the margins of the screen, and short cut editing amplifies the perception of entrapment. In her images the artist focuses on the deformation of genetically engineered lab mice, while opposing these creatures with "absolute natural" portraits of primates.

Patty is a two-minute-long video loop displayed on a large-scale monitor tilting from the wall towards the spectator. In Patty, Stellbaum employs the technique of camera close ups to engage the viewer in a more intimate viewing experience. Guinea Pig, another two-minute-video, lends the exhibition its title. Trapped in a video-blue void, two white mice, driven by curiosity, explore the limits of their confinement. On the same monitor, following Guinea Pig is Klebnikov Suite. A video within a video, the Guinea Pig video plays while the cat Klebnikov and his doppelgangers chase and attack the video mice.

CRUNCH is an intriguing video made with crickets. With this work, Stellbaum explores the distinctive technique of master filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock. Selected individuals previewed the work; their comment not only overlay the crickets' sound, but also determined the work's development and course of action. Lastly, Mouse2 * Primates Watching, a rear projection within a white box, occupies the remainder of the space.

Born in Berlin, Germany, Gabriele Stellbaum exhibited extensively in solo and group shows in Europe and the U.S. Recent exhibitions include, MOCA Museum for Contemporary Art, Washington D.C.; Flat, New York; Contemporary Art Museum University. of South Florida, Tampa; University Galleries, Boca Raton, FL; Pinacoteca Comunale Villa Soranzo, Varallo Pombia, Italy; Shedhalle Zurich, Switzerland; Westwerk e.V., Hamburg, kjubh Kunstverein, Cologne, America House, Frankfurt and Berlin, Marstall, Berlin, Staudenhof Galerie, Potsdam, Kuenstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany.