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Exhibition: Not a Lifesaving Device

Exhibition|Multimedia Installation by Boris Schaarschmidt

  • Goethe-Institut LA Project Space, Los Angeles, CA

  • English
  • Free admission

lifesaving-device_pop-up_1080x1080 © Boris Schaarschmidt

lifesaving-device_pop-up_2300x1000 © Boris Schaarschmidt

The multi-media installation NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE is comprised of a series of photogrpahs and video art created by Los Angeles-based artist Boris Schaarschmidt in December 2023, during the Arctic Circle Expeditionary Residency aboard the sailing vessel Antigua. 

As AI-generated images increasingly blur the boundaries between reality and fabrication, Schaarschmidt's works embrace that ambiguity: although they may appear artificial, they are entirely real. In the context of global warming, non-native species are increasingly moving into fragile ecosystems, symbolized here by an inflatable flamingo, an object radically out of place in the Arctic.
Simultaneously, the inflatable pool float references the rapid growth of tourism in polar regions, where leisure increasingly overlaps with vulnerability. The phrase "NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE," printed by the manufacturer directly on the object itself functions as a literal safety warning and a symbolic statement: In moments of real emergency, this device offers no protection.

NOT A LIFE SAVING DEVICE is on view at the Goethe-Institut from May 14th - 28th, 2026

During Office Hours: May 14th - 28th, 2026
                                  Tuesday–Thursdays: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
                                  Fridays: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Secure, free Parking is available at Metro/Retail parking structure with rear entrance to the Goethe-Institut located at
674 S. Westlake Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90057

Public transport is possible with the red line to MacArthur Park/Westlake stop. Using carpool or ride-share options are appreciated.
 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Boris Schaarschmidt

Boris Schaarschmidt is a German-born, Los Angeles-based internationally acclaimed filmmaker and artist.  Since 2005, he has lived in Los Angeles where he earned his MFA at the American Film Institute. Currently, he works as a professor of Film and Television.

As a visual artist, Schaarschmidt has been drawn to remote, seemingly inhospitable landscapes. Places where nature reveals both its stark beauty and profound vulnerability fascinate him and inspire his art.  

Over the past decade, he has undertaken artist residencies in remote regions that resist comfort and demand deep attention, including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Lapland, and the Artic. His earlier work centered on the Northern Lights, culminating in a body of video and visual art.

As a filmmaker, Schaarschmidt has a long track record of industry experience and has directed, produced, and written over 30 well-recognized short films. His films have won multiple awards and have screened at nearly 300 film festivals around the world, including at the Berlinale, LA-Shorts, Raindance, and the SOHO International Film festival, just to name a few.


 

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