Karel Koplimets

The solo works of Karel Koplimets (also a member of Visible Solutions OÜ) of the last couple of years focus more or less on a fictive urban narrative. This allows Koplimets to be positioned among a large group of photographers interested in the city as a scene of events.

Koplimets’ work carefully explores particular narrative situations. The city in his photographs is not a symbolic or existential environment or an introspective look into social issues, but as the scene of a crime. Koplimets’ photographs – when exhibited in full they are also accompanied by videos – are like film stills. It is also worth pointing out that Koplimets’ videos are as static as his photographs.

The word ‘standstill’ also characterises the plot of the narrative. All the formal characteristics of a proper Agatha Christie inspired TV-series are there, but what is missing is the storyline. It seems something happened, a murder was committed, yet the narrative offers no clues as to what and how it was all played out. Due to the overwhelming cinematic quality of Koplimets’ series, I would compare the photographs to Jim Jarmusch’s film “The Limits of Control” – an action film without action, as the director himself has said. Both authors use the horizon of expectations based on the viewers’ experiences and habits, but eventually leave the viewers alone with the scenarios they have created.

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www.karelkoplimets.com