Agony & Art

Inside the Upper East Side concealed within some of Manhattan’s most luxurious and illustrious designer boutiques lay an inconspicuous little gallery that displays some outlandish art that will resonate in your mind. It is the latest art exhibit of Berlinde De Bruyckere at Hauser and Wirth titled “Into One-Another to PPP.”

If you’re anything like me– not to be considered an afficionado of the arts but highly intelligent with a voracious appetite & curiosity of the arts, then you may need to be proactive and do a little research first. The “To PPP” is in reference to Pier Paolo Pasolini (PPP), is who this exhibit tribute (take a moment to Wikipedia him if you’ve never heard of him). He is also known as an Italian film artist, painter, poet, and even journalist who were brutally murdered in 1975.

Pasolini’s work was inspired by Catholic ritual, revolutionary European literature, Renaissance painting’s, and the political events of his time to create such films as ‘The Gospel According to St. Matthew,’ ‘Teorema,’ and ‘Salò.’ Pasolini’s work was vivid and disconcerting portraying explicit scenes of brutality and controversial violent acts.

De Bruyckere maintains the same level of intensity in her portrayal creating images that are incredibly haunting and realistic. The premise of De Bruyckere’s work hones in on the dualities of love and suffering, danger and protection, life and death. Wax bodies distorted and conjoined and headless leave a lasting impression. All sculptures and sketches appear with white black and bloody red. De Bruyckere used professional dancers as models for her work. Their movements and poses are inspiration for her own obscure composition. These figures appear stationary within an embellished pose awakening degradation and tragedy.

As I walk down the plain white walls at the Hauser and Wirth and worth gallery amidst four very empty rooms containing a single glass encased body, sexually ambiguous and hermaphrodite-like. While I am not quite sure what I am looking at, I am also engrossed yet perplexed by the visual that stands before me. New York City is a mecca of originality and culture and this exhibit embodies just that. Let’s not leave out one key detail… It’s a FREE exhibit running from March 1st to April 23rd from 10 am to 6 pm. For more details go to www.uppereast.com

Hauser & Wirth
32 East 69th Street
(Corner of 69th Street & Madison Avenue)

New York NY 10021
(212) 794-4970
www.hauserwirth.com/