Rodney Graham was a big fan of Nirvana, a rock band that achieved peak popularity in the 1990s. Their name, Nirvana, refers to the Buddhist concept of ‘nirvana’, a state of enlightenment, which signifies exiting the cycle of suffering and entering a state of absolute peace. In 2000, Graham visited the city of Aberdeen, the birthplace of Nirvana’s lead singer and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. He photographed deserted streets, factory buildings, and landscapes. From these shots, he developed the slide installation Aberdeen (2000), which he accompanied with his own renditions of songs by 1980s bands.
His journey to Kurt Cobain’s hometown turned out to be a sort of etymological pilgrimage, casually linking the urban bleakness of an American small town with the Buddhist ideal of emptiness.

Aberdeen
- Year 1998
- Edition Edition 2/3
- Material/Technique Single-channel slide Projection (80x 35mm slides, color, sound)
- Dimensions Variable
- Length 20'' / slide (overall: ca. 27')
- Category Media Art
- Collection Sammlung Goetz, Medienkunst, München
Rodney Graham
184 pages, 92 ill., hardcover
German/English
2015, Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern
ISBN 978-3-7757-4082-1
€ 30,00