Valia Russo, Junkspace 6, from the Junkspace series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist.
Valia Russo, Junkspace 2, from the Junkspace series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist.
Valia Russo, Junkspace 5, from the Junkspace series, 2023. Courtesy of the Artist.
Works from the Junkspace series, 2023–24
In his photographic series Junkspace, Paris-based artist Valia Russo references the titular concept as proposed by architect and theorist Remment Lucas Koolhaas. Koolhaas coined the term “junkspace” to denote the generic, undifferentiated environments proliferating in our contemporary landscape that are shaped by globalization and rapid urbanization. Junkspace is marked by a heterogeneous aesthetic and an absence of coherence or unified style, resulting in both uniform and repetitive spaces.
By exploring the complexities of our physical and virtual environments, Russo’s work presents photographs cluttered with disjointed signs, symbols, and images that shape our everyday experiences. This overwhelming stream of visual information subtly conditions our perceptions in insidious ways. Using automated tools and artificial intelligence to manipulate his images, the artist intentionally diminishes visual recognition, blurring the line between reality and simulation. He constructs dystopian assemblages that critique artificiality and excessive contemporary culture. Russo’s work provokes contemplation on the ways in which our environments are constructed and hybridized while also reflecting the fluid and unstable nature of the image itself.
Presented in partnership with the Canada Line Public Art Program – InTransit BC.
