Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. – New Exhibition at Serpentine South Gallery
Serpentine South Gallery presents, American artist, Barbara Kruger’s first solo exhibition in London in over 20 years. ‘Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You.’ combines text, audio clips and memes to explore how we consume online and offline content.
@urbanadventurerldn 📇 New thought-provoking exhibition opened at Serpentine South Gallery @Serpentine | Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. #serpentinegallery #barbarakruger #newexhibition #exhibitionlondon #newopening #arttok #artwork #digitalart #CapCut
Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
“I shop, therefore I am.” This statement welcomes visitors of Barbara Kruger’s solo exhibition at Serpentine South in Hyde Park. If you wait a moment, however, the message shutters into puzzle pieces to reassemble itself again, but this time showing different statements: “I shop, therefore I horde”, “I need, therefore I shop”, “I die, therefore I was”, “I love, therefore I need”.
Barbara Kruger is known for her impactful works with words and images. Her works have been presented across various spaces from billboards to skate parks to buildings and buses.
Having worked as graphic designer for newspapers and magazines for years, such as Mademoiselle, House and Garden and Aperture, Kruger developed her own unique visual language that borrows from newspaper aesthetics, advertising, and social media.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
‘Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You.’ is an immersive exhibition with multiple rooms to explore. Each room features a never-ending flow of texts, audio clips, memes or animated photos often using provocative language.
Everchanging sentences and headlines are being written in front of our eyes in Helvetica Ultra Compressed, Futura Bold and Futura Bold Oblique constantly changing the meaning of the sentences. The texts are about consumerism, power, and gender, pushing us to constantly re-think and re-consider our perspectives on how we see the world around us.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
At the same time single-word statements and short phrases are echoing back and forth within the walls of the exhibition rooms, directly addressing the viewer.
Kruger is manipulating the language of social media and online culture. She is sampling memes, lyrics and texts from social media and newspapers, questioning society and authority and our place in it.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The whole exhibition is very photogenic, however, the most Instagrammable room is perhaps the one with the black and white installation covering all the walls and the floor.
A quote from George Orwell’s famous novel, ‘1984’ is installed on the floor, while another quote from Virginia Woolf is installed on the longest wall, highlighting the word “YOU” as if we were looking at it through a fish-eye lens.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Barbara Kruger’s artworks have not only been featured on billboards, galleries, and buses, but her designs have frequently appeared on merchandise. Some limited-edition merch is available to purchase at Serpentine South building.
Kruger’s designs appear not only within but outside the walls of Serpentine South as well. If you’re lucky, you can spot one of the three iconic London taxis with Kruger’s unmissable designs somewhere in London.
One of Kruger’s digital installations, ‘Silent Writings’ 2009/2024 will also be presented in collaboration with Outernet London next to Tottenham Court Road Station.
The artwork will be showing on selected Monday evenings from 4 March 2024. Download Outernet London’s mobile app for timings. App Store Google Play
Practical Info
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Address
Serpentine South Gallery | Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA
Opening Times
1 February – 17 March 2024
Tue – Sun: 10am – 6pm
Tickets
The exhibition is free and open to all | You can book a time slot here for guaranteed entry, however, walk-ins accepted on a first come first serve basis.
Ready for your next adventure? Halcyon Gallery is currently running a free Andy Warhol exhibition. ‘Andy Warhol: Beyond the Brand’– among many others – features 10 never-seen-before artworks from the pop artist’s famous ‘Ads’ series. Make sure you visit both of the buildings of Halcyon Gallery!
