The body as evidence of our existence, as a witness to ourselves, is a shell to all that makes us move.
Flemish artist Berlinde De Bruyckere (*1964 in Ghent, lives and works in Ghent) is one of those contemporary female sculptors who explores inner and outer spaces in connection with this witness, and in so doing plumbs the finality of the body as a perceptible counterpart. The creatures a combination of unusual elements that are found in a state of metamorphosis are hermaphrodite forms that evoke complex emotions and reflect images of a both humanistic and at the same time art-historical investigation of suffering.
As a dialogue with the fluidity of the space of the Kunsthaus the solo exhibition by the Venice Biennale representative of the Belgian Pavilion 2013 concentrates on the topic of metamorphosis and shows sculptures as well as watercolors from recent years. In this confrontation the show questions our knowledge of existence and finds an enduring sculptural language of empathy.
