ART-TRIBUTE:Louise Bourgeois, Structures of Existence:The Cells
The exhibition “Structures of Existence: The Cells” focuses on the extraordinary series of sculptural environments Bourgeois created in the last two decades of her life. Also included in the exhibition are the early sculptures, paintings, and drawings which led to the development of this monumental and innovative body of work. Coinciding with the show, the Museum Garage of Contemporary Art presents two large-scale sculptures: the monumental bronze spider “Maman” (1999) on the square in front of the Museum and the international debut of “Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?” (2007) as a part of Garage’s Atrium Commission series.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Garage Museum of Contemporary Art Archive
This exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of Louise Bourgeois work in Moscow as part of the special program of the 6th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. To complement and expand on themes in the exhibition, the musem has collaborated with the Louise Bourgeois Trust and The Easton Foundation to present two large-scale installations: “Maman” (1999), a giant bronze spider towering more than 9 meters above the ground, greets visitors in Gorky Park’s Garage Square before entering the Museum. Originally conceived as the inaugural commission for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in May 2000, “Maman” is one of the artist’s most ambitious and recognizable works to take the spider as its subject. First depicted in two of the artist’s drawings from the 1940s, the spider took on an even more dominant role in the artist’s practice during the ‘90s. The largest in a series of spectacular sculptures created during the second half of the decade, balances perilously above the ground on eight spindly legs, shielding a mesh sac containing ten marble eggs below her abdomen. Vulnerable yet predatory, the figure of the spider is a tribute to Bourgeois’ beloved mother. The artist explained, “Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitos. We know that mosquitos spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother”. The work “Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?” (2007) is comprised of a giant, pivoting mirror standing over 6 meters high. The title, is taken from the artist’s diary entry on 7/2/95 is projected onto the glass. Fascinated by mirrors as symbols of truth and self-knowledge, Bourgeois used them frequently in the Cell installations to bring the viewer directly into an environment. Placed in the Museum’s Entrance Hall, this larger-than-life mirror incorporates the visitor and the surrounding building into the world of the artist, while the reflected question introduces the perceptual nuances inherent to Bourgeois’ work.
Info: Structures of Existence: The Cells, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Gorky Park, Moscow, Duration: 25/9/15-7/2/16, Days & Hours: Mon-Sun: 11:00-22:00, http://garageccc.com/en
