In the depths of the Internet, fails rule!
As a multimedia artist, Thomas Mailaender is renowned for his diverse modes of expression, from ceramics, to installations, photography, and collages. He often incorporates photographs and random objects into his artwork, highlighting its absurdity, the vernacular richness of its language, and its accidental poetry.
Fail Anthology is one of a series of ten volumes the artist published with RVB Books. It substantiates dilettante pursuits the rise of the Internet has made feasible, such as sharing viral images globally, only for them to disappear in a matter of days. By editing these photographs with a particular attention to detail, the artist emphasises their significance: a mistake in a road marking, an onion with a face, or parcels ‘discreetly’ hidden under a doormat. Initially intended for the Web, these images encourage us to sharpen our gaze, while also proving that ‘fails’ can be an invaluable source of artistic and aesthetic inspiration.