Reinis Hofmanis (LV)
Reinis Hofmanis (LV) “LARP”
LARP 2011
(The exhibition ended on May 4, 2013)
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Live action role playing games (LARP) show the world that has been created under the impact of mass culture. Such elements of pop culture as film, book and computer game characters become someone’s new identity.
Everyday life is changed into a parallel world – the world of fantasy, where future, past and present are not separated. Everything that does not seem possible in the real world is possible in a game. Office man, student, director of a hospital, nurse, militarist, jewelery trader, teacher becomes a sorcerer, ork, zombie, troll, elf, moss man or goblin. Dreams and desire to be a hero are realized and enacted.
The “LARP” by Reinis Hofmanis balance between documentary photo and staging. “LARP” portrays the heroes outside the game context. Thus the space around them works as an interspace which creates a natural distance between these characters and the viewer.
The work explores live action role players by raising questions.
Is a mask just a mask or is it a part of person’s identity – a side of identity which can not be realized otherwise?
What makes an office worker to take a huge axe and move deep in the bush? Why someone chooses to be an ork not a knight or some elf?
Can we separate a fantasy world from the real world?
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Reinis Hofmanis (LV) “LARP”
Reinis Hofmanis
was born in 1985 in Latvia, where he currently lives and works. From 2001 to 2005 he studied at Riga Design and Art school, Department of Environmental design, from 2005 to 2009 he was enrolled in studies at Latvian Academy of Art, Department of Visual Communicationos. In 2007 he was studying photography at University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover, Department of photography. From 2006 he works as independent photographer collaborating with different agencies and studios. From 2003 he practices artistic creation. His works have been shown at Singapore photography festival (2010), “In Focus” in Vilnius (2010) and other festivals. His pictures have been published in a number of international newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Financial Times, Der Spiegel and others.