The paintings from the series Wherever I am not reflect Jari Genser's three-month residency in Paris in the winter of 2024. There he collected photos and postcards, often showing architecture, views or still-life-like motifs - they are always devoid of people. Back in his studio in Vienna, he intuitively selected images from this pool, defined a specific section and placed it in the picture in a uniform format, which results in an increased seriality. The temporality of these works is determined by an afterlife, as all the paintings were created in Vienna and thus after the stay in France. Painting places where Jari Genser does not (or no longer) reside - in keeping with the title of the series - inscribes moments of longing, local discontinuity and restlessness.
In contrast to earlier paintings, Jari Genser undertakes a noticeable reduction in Wherever I am not, with the remaining white space on the canvas dominating. The aim is no longer to capture everything around him in paint, but to focus as much as possible by defining the detail. In some paintings, a mistake remains, the motif is repeated in a corner and is thus reminiscent of digital artifacts.
Text: Veronika Rudorfer
Christmas (La fête est passée)
2024 I Oil on canvas I 60 x 80 cm
