Jonathan Meese, Wir, Erzkinder lernen Macht (Süsses Dorf der Verdammtin) = Die Gören (2007) via Tim Van Laere Gallery
On view at the Tim Van Laere Gallery in Antwerp until June 25th, is Jonathan Meese’s 2007 sculpture, Wir, Erzkinder lernen Macht (Süsses Dorf der Verdammtin) = Die Gören. The show, which opened on May 12th, is part of the gallery’s ongoing focus on significant sculptural work in their outdoor exhibition space.
Artist Jonathan Meese (far left) at exhibition opening via Tim Van Laere Gallery
More text and images after the jump…
Jonathan Meese, Wir, Erzkinder lernen Macht (Süsses Dorf der Verdammtin) = Die Gören (2007) via Tim Van Laere Gallery
The two grotesque figures that make up the bronze sculpture, Wir, Erzkinder lernen Macht (Süsses Dorf der Verdammtin) = Die Gören, encompass several of the themes common to Meese’s work, most obviously his stated belief that, “Art is permanent child’s play.†Also, for Meese, art is a way to manipulate reality to order to deal with forces of good and evil. In this sense, Meese’s often-provocative works (Nazi iconography is a recurrent theme) are attempts at catharsis, playing with the past in order to come to terms with it. In fact, for Meese, art is the only medium that can properly address the ills of the past- neither religion nor politics can compete with his belief in the “Dictatorship of Art.â€
Jonathan Meese, Wir, Erzkinder lernen Macht (Süsses Dorf der Verdammtin) = Die Gören (2007) via Tim Van Laere Gallery
On a more concrete level, the children in the sculpture reference the James Bond villain, Dr. No, as a child. Dr. No allusions make frequent appearances in Meese’s works. Meese has said the children could also represent the demonic children from the 1960 science fiction film The Village of the Damned. Lastly, according to author Bonnie Clearwater, the figures serve as manifestations of the artist himself “and the various guises he assumes as well as for the forces of good and evil that he channels when he performs.”
In addition to sculpture, the German artist is known for performance art to figurative painting, and is represented by Leo Koenig in New York, Modern Art in London and Galerie Daniel Templon in Paris. The sculpture currently on view is being shown in conjunction with an exhibit of the works of Ellen de Meutter, and will be on view at Tim Van Laere Gallery through June 25th.
-E. Bernardi
Related Links:
Exhibition Page [Tim Van Laere Gallery]
