Rachel Maclean

The multimedia work of artist Rachel Maclean (born 1987) includes everything from babies with faceless mothers to deepfake films. The centerpiece of this collection of her recent works is Duck (2023), a spy thriller written and performed by Maclean but using the faces and voices of Sean Connery and Marilyn Monroe.

Using digital video, virtual reality and photographic technology, Scottish artist Rachel Maclean (born 1987) creates powerful narratives set in garishly colorful fantasy worlds. Her funny, scathing satires on contemporary life cite fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Kenneth Grahame’s children’s book The Wind in the Willows. Wearing outlandish costumes and elaborate make-up, the artist almost always plays the various characters in her works herself. Her distinctive compositions address topics such as nationalism, social changes in virtual space, gender images and consumer behavior.

This volume, accompanying her exhibition at Kunsthalle zu Kiel, features HD video projections, a VR installation and digital paintings. Accompanying these are five essays by Anette Hüsch, Matthew Shaul, Nina Power, Joshua Paul Dale and Muriel Meyer, which present insightful views of Maclean’s oeuvre.