Amalia Ulman

Amalia Ulman’s multimedia practice constructs narrative fictions which explore the tensions between global forces, public image, and private desires, as experienced through contemporary technologies.

While her work plays with the commodification of the self in the digital age, its irony and theatricality are accompanied by a humanist perspective, addressing the contradictions of modern life with empathy. By blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Ulman examines the shifting terrains of identity in contemporary life.

In her 2014 video installation The Future Ahead, Amalia Ulman offers a playful yet sharp critique of the online scrutiny surrounding Justin Bieber’s transformation into a social media celebrity. She examines the public’s fixation on his childhood appearance and the shift in his image as he entered puberty, capturing a pivotal moment in his evolution.

Around age 17, Bieber began adopting a facial expression Ulman calls the ‘Office Blind Pose’ (OBP), raising his eyebrows to create forehead wrinkles. She interprets this subtle gesture as a deliberate attempt to project maturity and masculinity. Ulman contrasts this with a meme suggesting Bieber was secretly a lesbian, exposing the contradictory expectations placed on young men in the public eye.

What started as a humorous observation develops into a sharp satire. In a PowerPoint presentation format, Ulman compiles numerous images of Bieber’s ‘OBP’ alongside pictures of teen vloggers mimicking it, turning an obsessive analytical lens. In doing so, she highlights how even the most seemingly trivial gestures carry cultural significance.

To further expand this exploration, RHIZOMA, within the same space, included a print of the month of October 2031 from the series The Destruction of Experience (2014). This calendar incorporates graphics related to reproduction, weaving together themes of identity, social expectations and performativity. The entire calendar has been reissued as an edition for RHIZOMA 2025.

The Future Ahead (2014)
Video installation, sound, colour
16’ (loop)

October 2031, from The Destruction of Experience (2014)
Print
59.4 x 84 cm