Yngve Holen

HATER HEADLIGHT

2015
scooter headlight and powder coated steel
9 1/2 x 19 1/4 x 26 inches

The repurposed and altered industrial objects used in the work of Yngve Holen challenge the viewer’s familiarity with the pieces and reference a dehumanized world. The scooter headlights in Hater Headlight confront the viewer with their mechanical form and the sharp underside that usually goes unseen in their traditional installation within the body of a scooter. The title adds to the humorously adversarial nature of the piece, as does the natural impulse to read the lamps as eyes staring aggressively forward. The work spotlights the viewer, illuminating the “hater” and sneering back. Yngve Holen is a Norwegian artist based in Berlin and has recently received numerous accolades, including the ArsViva Award last year (Germany’s equivalent of the Turner Prize for younger artists). Holen was also included in this year’s Berlin Biennale.