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2007-12-14 to 2008-02-02
Opening Reception: 2007-11-14, at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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| Genre: Contemporary European Art |
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Aleksandra Chaberek:
Since two years the Polish artist Aleksandra Chaberek is reflecting the myth of Medea. From the beginning of the year 2007 she started to transcribe her perspective on the theme artistically. Aleksandra Chaberek is not intending to reflect the Medea myth in total, but a particular aspect of its phenomenon. In Medeas self-violating gesture of killing her own children there is something which opposes the nature of woman as the one who was created to give birth. By taking revenge on the man she loves, Medea spiritually hurts and ultimately destroys herself. What is most fascinating about her action is the very fact of breaking and inverting the primeval principle of birthing and protection.
Medeas tragedy has an unusual significance today – in a world of singled individuals where raising children is inappropiate in many ways and considered an obstacle. As a result the refusal to have a child seems to be normal if not characteristic nowadays.
The artist is part of this phenomenon herself and does not feel entitled to ethically comment it but artistically states it as a given fact. This regards also the change such defiance of nature results in, personally and socially. Thus the series of pictures Aleksandra Chaberek has painted for this theme is not meant to describe the story of Medea's life, but to grasp her deepest nature.
In the exhibition “La Petite Mort”, curated by Janine Bean, Aleksandra Chabereks paintings on the Medea sujet will concentrate on the centre parts of bodies as a series of physiological blow ups depicting both pain and ecstasy. Among other figures Chaberek wants to show a woman impassioned but after too much suffering losing her humanity and drastically transforming into just a lump of meat. This series of hyperrealistic nudes will allow through its aggressive naturalism, paradoxically, to overcome the dimension of reality. It may also say something about our mindset which, as an inhabitant of Central Europe suspended between two civilizations, the Polish artist understands very well and therefore is reflecting in her works.
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