Opus Incertum by Daniel Wagener at CNA/Pomhouse du Luxembourg

The in-situ installation is a device of prefabricated shelves, industrial racks, crossing the main nave from left to right, filled with images of contemporary "building sites", urban visions, traces of buildings from the past and the present.

Overview

Daniel Wagener's Opus incertum, created in response to the call from Lëtz'Arles for an exhibition to be presented at the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie 2023, is an in situ installation in the Chapelle de la Charité in Arles. Confronted with this religious edifice, rich in history and symbolism, the artist has created a striking contrast using prefabricated shelves filled with images of contemporary building sites and urban scenes, obstructing the view of the altar. This installation becomes a physical interface, replacing the object of worship with a new cult of consumption, questioning the nature of the icon in contemporary society.

For its exhibition in Luxembourg, the installation was adapted to the new setting of the Pomhouse - an industrial chapel, without an altar or central nave but just as rich in history. Two shelves with a factory gate in the middle were installed, symbolizing an uncertain future, in keeping with the artist's surrealist sense of humor. Wagener's images, capturing daily, ordinary occurences, continue to question our habits of consumption, the treatment of nature, urban planning and our visions of the city.

Opus incertum also pays tribute to the collective work of those involved in the construction process, highlighting their invisible solidarity. The installation documents episodes of urban construction, revealing what is often overlooked. Wagener's seemingly neutral photographs are thought-provoking and raise awareness of the times we live in. The artist even invites visitors to move the new icons on carts, creating a sublimation of the useful in a gentle, benevolent irony.