Candice Breitz

Candice Breitz

Candice Breitz is a contemporary artist from South Africa who has gained international recognition for her thought-provoking works that explore the complexities of identity, representation, and the media. Breitz's artistic practice spans across various mediums, including video, photography, installation, and performance, and often involves collaboration with actors, musicians, and other artists. One of the defining features of Breitz's work is her use of appropriation, where she takes existing media, such as Hollywood films or reality TV shows, and recontextualizes them to highlight the constructed nature of identity and representation. In her 1999 work, Mother and Father, Breitz edited footage from popular films to create a montage of actors playing parental figures, revealing the cultural stereotypes and expectations that shape our understanding of family and gender roles. Another recurring theme in Breitz's work is empathy, particularly in relation to the experiences of marginalized communities. In her 2016 documentary, The Art of Empathy, Breitz interviewed refugees and asylum seekers in Italy and Germany to explore the human stories behind the statistics and media narratives. Through her work, Breitz challenges viewers to confront their own assumptions and biases, and to consider the complex social and political issues that shape our world.

South African artist, identity, representation, appropriation, empathy

— Eric Green