Portrait of Mahir from "Without Context"

Portrait of Cepee from "Without Context - Sin Contexto⁠" - Exhibition by Aaron Jean⁠ at Ara Crinis - Madrid
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Without Context - Is an exhibition about expectation. We give an image our attention, we expect answers for our gaze. Advertisers and algorithms have perfected this form of commerce and the more satisfying the answers, the more satiated yet, addicted we become. I prefer questions instead of answers. I prefer feelings instead of responses and I prefer “hmmm” instead of “ahah!” ⁠
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Images start a conversation, but you have to see the shapes and the lines and you have to ask the questions. There are no answers, only humans, physicality, emotion, and shape. We are the context, not the image.⁠
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The portraits continue this theme. We imagine that a true portrait captures someone’s soul or tells the truth…but I think a good portrait asks a good question and reveals a part of ourselves. ⁠
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“That’s what the world is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.” -Haruki Murakami⁠