ART PRESENTATION: Kiki Smith-Processions
One of the most prolific artists of her generation, Kiki Smith creates a multifaceted body of work that addresses the philosophical, social and spiritual aspects of human nature. For her unique vision, breadth of experience, and prolific output comprised of books, paintings, sculptures, prints and artist collaborations, she has been regarded as one of our most important voices of contemporary Feminist art.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Haus der Kunst Archive
“Processions” a comprehensive retrospective of Kiki Smith’s work is on view at the Haus der Kunst, the exhibition features her iconic works, ranging from sculptures from the beginning of her career to her most recent works. Through analytical penetration, Kiki Smith explores all the facets of the human existence, such as age, death and dying, wounding and healing, wholeness and fragmentation, sexuality and gender, identity and memory. Early works from the ‘80s emerged in the wake of explosive changes in political, social and cultural conditions marked by the AIDS crisis, a fervent discourse on sexuality and gender, and feminist activism. However, since the early 1990s, Smith has become increasingly interested in alternative narratives, exploring history, myths, legends and tales, religious belief and the traditions of nonwestern cultures. The title of the exhibition is etymologically derived from the Latin word “procedure” meaning “to pass by”, and refers to a staging by Francis Alÿs from 2002, in which he created replicas of important works from MoMA, such as pieces by Picasso, Giacometti and Duchamp, and carried them like relics through the streets of New York with Kiki Smith. The exhibition includes works from the 1990s that depict isolated body parts, such as stomach, head, hands, intestines, or vessels containing bodily fluids, including “Glass Stomach” (1985). Based on these anatomical works, she soon started populating her artistic world with girls and women, hybrid creatures, animals of all kinds, plants and start, like in the work “Jersey Crows” (1995-2017). In her works, various entities are often interwoven, creating an intimate and familiar encounter between man and creature, often blurring boundaries between them. The exhibition also includes the series of 12 tapestries, exhibited for the first time in its entirety. Telling a kind of creation story, she interweaves a snake, wolf, raven, Eve, Adam, Deer, Mountains, rivers, sea and stars into a confessional cosmos.
Info: Curator: Petra Giloy-Hirtz, Haus der Kunst, Prinzregentenstraße 1, Munich, Duration: 2/2-3/7/18, Days & Hours: Mon-Wed & Fri-sun 10:00-20:00, Thu 10:00-22:00, https://hausderkunst.de
