MaMA 

MAMA presents the first video-solo of the multitalented Wayne Horse (aka Willehad Eilers, 1981). German Swinehundt in Rotterdam is built around two short films, Elefantos (2005) and Elefant Boy (2007), in which violence, social class differences, celebrity culture, excessive consumption and pornography feature prominently.

These films are supplemented by Horse’s short video pieces and his latest films Amazing Flying Cars, Adrian Falk and A Mattress in the Woods. German Swinehundt in Rotterdam reveals the energy and diversity with which Horse discusses the different aspects of the themes in his work, with the help of actors and animations.

In his videos, Horse combines animation, life-sized dolls and actors. The animations are derived from his graffiti work, paintings and drawings. The flowing animated lines are used to give the images, shot either by himself or by others, an extra energy. In other videos, animated characters and dolls force themselves into the filmed image. Scenes in which actors appear are distorted and take on a character as artificial as a cartoon.

The above opens the door for the most absurd personages and incidents that, in a certain way become believable again. ‘When everything is absurd, people are far more open for things, then nothing is out of the question’ (Horse in an interview with Merel Bem for the Volkskrant dd. 21-11-2007). The videos make an appeal to the imagination of the viewer to discover a connection between the different scenes. This makes it unavoidable that the viewer applies his or her own logic to that which they see.

The relationship that Horse enters into with his actors and the characters in his videos is long-term and intense. Thus, Kent ‘the norseman’ Hensley, one of the characters from Elefant Boy, is the leading man in A Mattress in the Woods (originally produced for MTV). Hensley, glue-sniffing and enjoying a piece of cake he found, manages to survive living as a wild man in a forest. His skin bears tattoos with the names of fallen MTV stars such as Dr Hollywood, Boys2Men or Ace of Base.

In the case of Elefantos, the relationship between Horse and the character he created comes to a head completely. While Horse documented the life of the erratic central figure Elefantos, the personage, after a period of intense happiness, fell into downward spiral. This resulted in Horse deciding to put him out of his misery. An act of mercy. In Elefantos (Death) a hanged Elefantos floats on a bunch of balloons above a Dutch brick terraced housing estate towards his end.

Horse makes no qualitative distinction between schmaltzy TV channels, cartoons, games, art house films and youtube. They all have their own qualities, which he moulds to his will. In his videos, Horse also utilizes the characteristics of various media. Strawberry Bitch, Elefant Boy and Ponzo are shot on 16mm film. Films such as Dorothy + Lance are recorded digitally with a 10 year old DVCAM and thus 100% NoResolution. Legends of Graf is an online hip-hop and graffiti battle that is played out on youtube. Horse has increasingly come to regard Adrian Falk, the music video he made for schmaltz singer Adrian Falk, as an autonomous work.

The exhibition closes with a spectacular closing party on March 7 during the Museum Night. Keep an eye on our website for more information.