Rituals / Threshold

Julika Rudelius, who lives in Frankfurt and Los Angeles, is fascinated by wealth − its seductive appeal, its absurdity and brutality, and the rituals generated by capitalism. In her video installation Rituals (2012), young men − textile salesmen in China − present themselves to the camera amid the hustle and bustle of street life and traffic, often imitating the erotic poses of celebrities and international advertising campaigns. Men of their father’s generation shower female colleagues with money. But since the sums are negligible, this is only a cheap imitation of power and status – it rains to no avail. In contrast to such symbolic gestures, Julika Rudelius’s new video Threshold (2016), shows real status symbols, as viewers are taken on a tour of empty mansions belonging to top American stars. She uses photos from high-end real estate agents, TV shots, and online images, and reassembles them in a virtual reality camera tour. In underground tunnels that allow unseen access to the house, we can hear the faraway sound of squealing fans waiting at the estate gates for the celebrities to emerge.