Volta Basel

Paul Jacobsen, who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, was an assistant for Jeff Koons, Sean Scully, and Rudolph Stingel. In his series "Studies in Movements," he addresses the black flag, which is considered an authoritarian symbol representing the absence or resistance to a nation state. The artist has an increasingly critical view towards politics. Even though society is far from egalitarian, Jacobsen believes that a new, dark, chapter has recently begun in America's history, which is expressed through his video work in addition to his charcoal drawings. In Jacobsen's current works, the artist focuses on the motif of flags, the fabric abstracted into a distinctive, dark shape that seems to wave in the wind. Symbolically, Paul Jacobsen's works address the loss of values and the accompanying dwindling charisma of the national flag. His works on paper prove to be both a provocation and a haunting memorial.