Marco Evaristti “I Believe In Love After Death”

MARCO EVARISTTI (DK/CL)
I Believe In Love After Death
13.04 – 12.05.2018

[UK]

It is with great pleasure that Galleri Christoffer Egelund can present one of Denmark’s most ambitious artists, when Marco Evaristti introduces original works in the solo show, ​I Believe In Love After Death.

Evaristti has dedicated a large part of his artistic interest to the taboos of civilisation, and he is fearless as he dives into the most suppressed and consciously forgotten subjects of society. Evaristti works with a high presence of performativity to draw the beholder into the world of the artist. Here he encourages them to look into the mirror of art and see themselves, and the society they are a product of. Evaristti made this very clear in 2000, when the art museum Trapholt exhibited the controversial work ​Helena​. Ten living green swordtails were displayed in blenders and it was up to the audience to decide over life and death of this small fish. In 2012 Evaristti directed hard spotlight on the worldwide sale of human organs in the piece ​Live Action. ​With large posters and an actual website, he made it possible for his audience to auction off their own kidney, thus allowing the performative participation of the beholder exhibit the double standard of the western world and the systematic exploitation of people who live in poverty.

The responsibility of art as a catalyst of social change is something that seems to come natural to the art of Evaristti. He has never shown any fear or hesitation in delivering the provocation or virtual slap-in-the-face that refreshes a perspective and changes a human life. In 2003, Evaristti created the work ​Goodbye Kiss​ in collaboration with a Muslim Lebanese woman. The two of them went shopping for the ingredients to make a suicide bomb and ended the performance by kissing until drawing blood. The mixed blood of the artist of Jewish decent and the Muslim woman was applied to the printed photo of their union in a kiss goodbye exhibited right above the finished bomb. Just as controversial is the piece ​Rolexgate ​from 2006, which is a golden replica of the gate leading into Auschwitz, where pieces of gold fillings stolen from Jewish prisoners have been used for the sculpture.

With ​I Believe In Love After Death, ​Evaristti handles two subjects that are both as natural as they are taboo: sex and death. The one thing we know with certainty is that we all must die, and it is this very knowledge that separates us from every other living species. This awareness functions as an enormous force of life and creates the fundamental question of what to do with your time on earth. Another powerful force of life is the sexual drive. It has been the cause of glory as well as gore. For the sake of the human libido leaders are created and destroyed, marriages crash, power relations are formed and strong connections among humans come into existents. Together, life force and sexual drive make a powerful cocktail, and it seems to be this very combination that serves as the fuel for Evarittis newest solo show. Evaristti has often approached the question of the choices we make in life and how we choose to spend the time we have been given. Evaristti fuses sex and death in his huge drawings of copulating skeletons, and ​I Believe In Love After Death ​investigates the complicated relationship of creation and destruction between death and sex. The vision of Evaristti is that of hope and out of death grows the unavoidable existential force that is the force of life itself.

Galleri Christoffer Egelund cordially invites you to the opening of Marco Evaristti: ​I Believe In Love After Death​, Friday April 13th from 4pm to 7pm. The artist will be present during the opening reception. The exhibition runs until May 12, 2018. Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday 11-18, Saturdays 12-16. For further information on artworks and press photos please contact the gallery at: ​hello@christofferegelund.dk or at +45 33939200.

[DK]

Galleri Christoffer Egelund kan med stolthed præsentere en af Danmarks mest ambitiøse kunstnere, når Marco Evaristti udstilller nye originale værker på hans soloudstillingen ​I Believe In Love After Death.

Evaristti har dedikeret store dele af sin kunstneriske interesse til civilisationens tabuer og dykker uforfærdet ned i samfundets mest undertrykte og forglemte emner. Med en høj grad af performativitet i sin kunstneriske praksis, suger Evaristti sine medmennesker med ind i sit univers og tvinger dem til møde sig selv og sit samfund i kunstens spejl. Dette blev meget tydeligt i 2000, da kunstmuseet Trapholdt udstillede Evaristtis kontroversielle værk, ​Helena,​ hvor ti levende sværddragere blev udstillet i blendere, og magten over liv og død blev lagt direkte i hænderne på museets besøgende. Ligeledes i 2012 med værket ​Live Action,​ hvor Evaristti tilbød danskerne at aktionere en nyre væk, blev beskuer performativiteten til en udstilling af den vestlige dobbeltmoral og den systematiske udnyttelse af mennesker, der lever i fattigdom.

Evaristtis kunstneriske univers synes uden tøven at tage sin rolle som samfundsformende til sig og har aldrig været bange for at give en beskuer den forskrækkelse og provokation, som kan forfriske et livssyn og forandre et menneskeliv. I 2003 blev værket ​Goodbye Kiss ​til i samarbejde mellem Evaristti og en libanesisk muslimsk kvinde. Sammen tog kunstneren og kvinden ud og indkøbte ingredienserne til en selvmordsbombe, inden deres blandede blod blev smurt ud over et fotografi af dem forenet i et farvelkys. Det lige så kontroversielle, ​Rolexgate,​ fra 2006 tager udgangspunkt i Evaristtis egne jødiske rødder og den grusomme fortælling om Holocaust i et værk, hvor blandt andet stjålne guldfyldninger fra jødiske fanger udgør en del af en guldmodel af porten ind til Auschwitz.

I udstillingen, ​I Believe In Love After Death,​ arbejder Evaristti med to emner, der er lige så naturlige, som de er tabuiserede: sex og døden.​ ​ ​Det eneste vi med sikkerhed ved er, at vi skal dø, og den bevidsthed adskiller os fra andre levende arter. Resultatet af denne viden er en enorm livsdrift og det naturligt afledte spørgsmål: hvad vil jeg bruge min levende tid på? En anden stærk drift er seksualdriften. Den er skyld i og bærer æren for såvel storhed som fald. Over den mistes og skabes magtrelationer, ledere skabes og forfalder, ægteskaber forliser og stærke forbindelser skabes. De to i kombination – livsdrift og seksualdrift – er en stærk cocktail, og det lader til, at det er netop denne kombination, der har givet næring til Evaristtis nye udstilling. Evaristti har i sin kunst ofte stillet spørgsmål til de valg, vi træffer i livet – til hvordan vi vælger at bruge den tid, vi er blevet tildelt. Død og sex er uløseligt flettet sammen i Evaristtis tegninger af kopulerende skeletter, og udstillingen undersøger seksualdriften og dødens komplicerede slægtskab. Evaristtis vision er håbet, og livskraften vokser uundgåeligt ud af den eksistentielle drivkraft, som døden repræsenterer i menneskelivet.

Galleri Christoffer Egelund inviterer til åbningen af udstillingen, ​I Believe In Love After Death, fredag den 13. april fra kl. 16-19, hvor kunstneren vil være tilstede. Udstillingen løber til og med den 12. maj 2018. Åbningstider: tirsdag-fredag fra 11-18, lørdag fra 12-16. For yderligere info om værkerne og pressefotos kontakt venligst galleriet på: hello@christofferegelund.dk eller tlf. +45 33939200.