Throughout the exhibition, Rosa Menkman’s research and work trace distinct phases in the development of image processing – the use of computers to improve, modify, or analyse digital images, from adjusting brightness to recognising complex patterns.
Each space highlights a key transformation in visual technology:
The shift from analogue to digital, the rise of platform-shared imagery, the emergence of synthetic (computer-generated) images, and the introduction of JPEG compression – a process that reduces file size by altering colour values.
The Collapse of PAL reflects on the end of the analogue broadcast standard PAL. In Menkman’s work, the Angel of History mourns this loss, facing backward while being propelled forward – a symbol of technological change and the impermanence of media. Opposite, the Sigil of Destitute Vision acts as a map and compass, guiding you through the exhibition’s transitional landscapes of image processing. Further along, Destitute Vision offers a glimpse into the future: as image processing technologies evolve, challenges of accuracy, bias, and clarity come into focus — revealing that each technological upgrade carries its own compromises.
Rosa Menkman | b. 1983, Arnhem
Rosa Menkman is a Dutch artist, researcher, and educator. She interrogates the concept of resolution – not simply as a measure of detail but as a dynamic site of cultural and perceptual negotiation. As a “media archaeologist from the future,” she digs into the compromises at the core of image processing across technical, cultural, and political contexts. Her publication Glitch Moment/um (INC, 2011) has been central to developing theoretical and practical frameworks for Glitch Art. Her publication Beyond Resolution critiques the emphasis on high-resolution digital media, exploring how glitches and image distortions reveal deeper creative and conceptual insights.
Artworks in this room:
The Collapse of PAL (2010), by Rosa Menkman, Video Projection, with sound by Rosa Menkman. Read more here.
Destitute Vision (2025), by Rosa Menkman, Video, with sound by Rosa Menkman.
Sigil of Destitute Vision (2025), by Rosa Menkman, Compass. With support of Lotte Menkman.
Ecology of Compression Complexities (2015-2017), by Rosa Menkman, Wallpaper.