Portrait of Mary Auroré Somewhere between 1970 and 1973, 2003

"Motivational Instruments" - this is what British conceptual artist Ryan Gander calls his fictional characters, which have gone from synonyms to the core and substance of his work. Mary Auroré is one of these fictional characters, whose identity cannot be determined, but who appears in various works. As part of the Baloise collection, Mary Auroré is associated with Gander's mother. In the black and white photograph "Portrait of Mary Auroré", sitting by the sea and wearing sunglasses, she looks directly into the camera.

Ryan Gander works with a variety of techniques: from sculpture to film, writing, graphic design, installation and performance. In doing so, he explores associative thought processes that connect the everyday with the esoteric, the unconscious with the visible. Through his work, Gander questions language and knowledge, reinventing both the manifestations and the making of an artwork. His practice is reminiscent of a web with multiple connections, linking fragments into an embedded story. Ultimately, it is a vast array of hidden clues to be deciphered, encouraging the viewer to develop their own associations.