Adel Abidin’s video work Michael is a satirical depiction of the fan culture of our time

The resurrected star, Michael, is being interviewed on a TV show streamed on huge screens in New York’s Times Square. Thousands of fans have gathered to listen to the sage words of their idol. Michael replies to questions mysteriously, using only lyrics from his well-known songs. 

By satirising the fan-culture of our time, the work explores the role and significance of celebrities. The pop star is portrayed as a prophet followed blindly by his fans. The star’s status is reinforced by the media industry built around idolization. At the same time, the video is a sarcastic mirror-image of this day and age when even idols are consumed until nothing is left.

Iraqi-Finnish Adel Abidin (b.1973) is a multimedia artist who explores cultural collisions and power relations. His works often employ imageries borrowed from popular culture. Abidin’s works have been presented in multiple international exhibitions like Venice Biennale (2007- Nordic Pavilion, 2011 Iraq Pavilion, 2015 Iran Pavilion and Glass-Stress International Exhibition). Abidin was awarded with The Finland Award for Visual Arts 2015 and he was an Ars Fennica nominee 2011. His works are included in many public and private collections in Finland and around the world. 

The work is part of Finnish National Gallery’s Collection in Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma.

Duration: 18 min 15 sec.