From Walter to Valerie / Benedikt Fischer & Benedikt Fischer
Benedikt Fischer and Benedikt Fischer are one of the participants in 'From Walter to Valerie'. Click here to read more on their project The Chain Project.
Biography
Both Benedikt Fischers are Austrian and of a similar age, and both have a rural family background. Both live and work in Germany and studied a profession in the field of art and design. Both have brown hair and are of average size and physique. They also share the exact same number of extremities and sensory organs. Most notably, however, they share the exact same name, leading to several misconceptions in recent years.
They took notice of each other due to the sporadic confusion of their identities, especially in the wake of name-tagging on social networks, and due to direct messages from mutually unfamiliar friends, which indicates a higher degree of similarity of their general profile.
Though other qualities and characteristics may differ, they both got along well and already felt quite familiar when they first met in Vienna this past summer to talk about this project.
Benedikt Fischer (b. 19XX, AU)
- Photographer
- Lives in the greater Frankfurt am Main area, Germany
- Has worked/exhibited with and for Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, the Goethe Institut, DIS Magazine, and Spike Art Quarterly, among others
Benedikt Fischer (b. 1984, AU)
- Jeweller
- Lives in Amsterdam (NL)
- His work has entered the collections of Museum Angewandte Kunst Wien, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Röhsska Museum Gothenburg and CODA Museum Apeldoorn
They took notice of each other due to the sporadic confusion of their identities, especially in the wake of name-tagging on social networks, and due to direct messages from mutually unfamiliar friends, which indicates a higher degree of similarity of their general profile.
Though other qualities and characteristics may differ, they both got along well and already felt quite familiar when they first met in Vienna this past summer to talk about this project.
Benedikt Fischer (b. 19XX, AU)
- Photographer
- Lives in the greater Frankfurt am Main area, Germany
- Has worked/exhibited with and for Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, the Goethe Institut, DIS Magazine, and Spike Art Quarterly, among others
Benedikt Fischer (b. 1984, AU)
- Jeweller
- Lives in Amsterdam (NL)
- His work has entered the collections of Museum Angewandte Kunst Wien, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Röhsska Museum Gothenburg and CODA Museum Apeldoorn
Project: The Chain Project
After considering several concepts involving the manufacture of an object classifiable in the realm of jewellery, none of the physical manifestations seemed to grasp the aspects that came into play considering the doppelgänger subject, identity issues and biographical specifics of both us Benedikts, as well as the overall topic of the chain and our ideas incorporated therein.
So, instead of a single object, we decided to define/describe in a series of photographs the connections we saw between the chain as a symbol, consisting of multiple other symbols, and our accidental relationship. The photos were made by each of us separately, guided by a list of tasks/situations involving the chain.
Die Kette über den Kopf halten / heben (hold / lift the chain above the head)
Die Kette, nachts (the chain at night)
Die Kette um das Handgelenk wickeln (wrap the chain around the wrist)
Die Kette aufbahren (display the chain)
Die Kette reinigen (clean the chain)
Die Kette, zuhause (the chain at home)
Die Kette ans Wasser bringen (bring the chain to the water)
Die Kette vollschwitzen (sweat on the chain)
Die Kette an einen Ort mitnehmen (take the chain to a location)
Die Kette zurücklassen oder vernichten (leave the chain behind or destroy it)
Comparing the results, we expected to learn more about our differences and similarities – with the chain functioning as the central connector between each series and between both of us.
After all, the chain project was nothing less than a most welcome (and fitting) occasion to finally get in touch after years of silent but benevolent awareness, and grew as we went along.
So, instead of a single object, we decided to define/describe in a series of photographs the connections we saw between the chain as a symbol, consisting of multiple other symbols, and our accidental relationship. The photos were made by each of us separately, guided by a list of tasks/situations involving the chain.
Die Kette über den Kopf halten / heben (hold / lift the chain above the head)
Die Kette, nachts (the chain at night)
Die Kette um das Handgelenk wickeln (wrap the chain around the wrist)
Die Kette aufbahren (display the chain)
Die Kette reinigen (clean the chain)
Die Kette, zuhause (the chain at home)
Die Kette ans Wasser bringen (bring the chain to the water)
Die Kette vollschwitzen (sweat on the chain)
Die Kette an einen Ort mitnehmen (take the chain to a location)
Die Kette zurücklassen oder vernichten (leave the chain behind or destroy it)
Comparing the results, we expected to learn more about our differences and similarities – with the chain functioning as the central connector between each series and between both of us.
After all, the chain project was nothing less than a most welcome (and fitting) occasion to finally get in touch after years of silent but benevolent awareness, and grew as we went along.
