Horizontal hold

In Daniel von Sturmer’s video, Horizontal hold, the hypnotic movement of white paper being fed through a shredder commands the viewer’s gaze as it kinks and loops across two screens. Horizontal hold becomes a formal study of line, while the motif of shredded paper alludes to privacy concerns associated with confidential information, the clandestine manoeuvring of corporations and the glut of data generated in the information age. Horizontal hold was initially created for the 2004 Sydney Biennale, where it was shown on external windows at the Museum of Sydney. 

Daniel von Sturmer is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. He creates video and light installations that challenge our perceptions of pictorial space and ask the viewer to consider how their experience of sight is mediated by digital imagery. In von Sturmer’s work, simple materials and forms are harnessed to convey complex ideas about space, time and the nature of illusion.

Leigh Robb, Curator of Contemporary Art