In 2000, then as an aspiring artist, Candice Breitz received widespread attention with her first major institutional solo exhibition "Cuttings" at O.K. In the method of montage and collage that is typical for the artist, familiar Hollywood films supply the starting material that the artist digitally processes, newly structures according to her own script, and transfers into new contexts.

Mother: A different well known American actress is seen on each of six screens in one of her roles as mother. The spectrum of the roles shows mother figures from different generations and of different characters, comprising a broad palette of actresses – Meryl Streep, Shirley McLaine, Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton and Faye Dunaway. The figures are taken out of the original film context, appearing in Candice Breitz' installation completely isolated in front of a black background. Their fictional dialogue lacks the film partner, so that their emotional reactions seem barely comprehensible. Yet a compelling atmosphere is created, in which the women are related to one another in "being mother" and seem to react to one another.
The installation "Father" contains scenes with Tony Danza, Dustin Hoffman, Harvey Keitel, Steve Martin, Donald Sutherland and Jon Voight.
51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Candice Breitz, born 1972 in Johannesburg, South Africa, lives and works in Berli