The North America Office of Duesseldorf Tourism and Duesseldorf Airport announce:

New Art Exhibit: “EGO UPDATE. The future of the digital identity” at Düsseldorf’s NRW-Forum

The “Selfie” is the photographic ID of most people’s online presence.  The phenomenon of the selfie in digital communication and its influence on identity in a digital world are the focus of a new exhibit at NRW-Forum Düsseldorf with pieces by 23 international artists that transcend genre boundaries in a blend of high and popular culture  (September 19, 2015 – January 17, 2016).

Düsseldorf, Germany – An attempt to answer the fundamental human question, “Who am I” is at the heart of much human communication, and expressing identity in the digital world revolves around the selfie.  A new exhibit at Düsseldorf’s NRW-Forum explores how human identity is created and changed by digital media and worldwide digital and technological developments. The exhibit titled “EGO UPDATE. The future of the digital identity” is the first by the museum’s new artistic head Alain Bieber and runs from September 19, 2015 – January 17, 2016.

EGO UPDATE showcases pieces around self-image and the future of digital identity by 23 international artists, including: Kim Asendorf, LaTurbo Avedon, Evan Baden, Arvida Byström, Kurt Caviezel, Robbie Cooper, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, MC Fitti, Alison Jackson, Erik Kessels, Florian Kuhlmann, Dafna Maimon, Netro, Onformative, Ontheroofs, Martin Parr, Evan Roth, Andreas Schmidt, Guido Segni, Oliver Sieber, David Slater, Amalia Ulman and Jonas Unger.

Highlights include: 

Martin Parr, the British Magnum photographer, visits local photo studios around the world to take self-portraits, and his series “Autoportrait” launched in 1991 and reflects global sociology of photographic taste.

A Magnum Photobooth will be set up during the exhibit for visitors to have their picture taken in the style of world-leading Magnum photographers.

Before selfies emerged as a mass phenomenon, Jonas Unger handed Quicksnap cameras to celebrities to take pictures of themselves. Some of the self-portraits will be shown at EGO UPDATE.

Inspired by celebrity selfies that Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley took of themselves doing ballet, Dafna Maimon will do the same at her ballet performance on December 12.

Dutch artist Erik Kessels is known for creating amusing illustrated stories from unknown photos and found footage.  A new piece is planned for EGO UPDATE.

Swiss artist Kurt Caviezel uses photos from publicly accessible online webcams for his explorations on exhibitionism and surveillance. In his piece “The Users” the viewer becomes a voyeur of the everyday.

Romance and sex-related selfies are the object of Evan Baden’s work.  His photo series “Technically Intimate” shows that privacy is merely an illusion on the world wide web.

Selfies taken by Swedish artist Arvida Byström in subversive moments using glitter and pink are studies of femininity, sex, gender roles and search for identity.

Italian artist Guido Segni’s series “The Middle Finger Response” shows self-portraits of poorly paid crowd workers – dubbed the “digital proletariat” – holding up the middle finger.

Vitaliy Raskalov and Vadim Makhorov take selfies after climbing the tallest buildings in USA, China and the United Arab Emirates and involve observers in their experience with these point-of-view shots.

Many of the works are shown in digital form, as streams and other online displays and online performances. Moreover, the show includes an accompanying program, including the world’s first cyborg fair, from November 6-9, displaying the fusion of humans and technology. Other program points include a partner project, a special “Identity Convention” titled “Streaming Egos: Digital Identities in Europe.”  Like the art exhibit, the project explores the question of human identity, but on a level of society, nations, and in Europe.

For more information, please visit www.nrw-forum.de.

Düsseldorf’s tourism office is offering hotel and city specials for stays in 2015.  The package, called “Düsseldorf à la Card,” can be booked right from the tourism office’s website at https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/accommodation/hotel-packages/duesseldorf-a-la-card/.  Prices start at €49 per night per person based on double-occupancy for a 2-3-star hotel in the city center and at €95 per person for a 4-star hotel.  The package includes breakfast, one DüsseldorfCard (free public transportation within city limits plus 30 free or reduced admissions to city attractions), and a city information package. Please check the website for current information.

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Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourism GmbH is the visitors and convention bureau of the city of Düsseldorf.  Its responsibilities include tourism and city marketing, as well as conference and meeting marketing, hotel reservation services, fairs and convention services, city event ticket sales and advance ticket reservations.  For more information, visit www.visitduesseldorf.de.

Düsseldorf Airport, Germany’s Next Generation Hub^TM, offers several non-stop flights from US cities (Atlanta, Chicago, Ft. Myers, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark), as well as convenient connections to many European cities.  For more information about the airport, visit www.dus.com.