Martin Asbæk Gallery is proud to present Walking Shadow by Maria Rubinke, the artist’s largest and most ambitious show to date.
The exhibition, which has been two years in the making, revolves, much like the artist’s previous work, around existentialism and an on-going exploration of darkness. However, a glimmer of hope is present in Maria Rubinke’s recent work.
A round park bench takes center stage in what seems like an abandoned park. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the frail bench is held together by the serpentine roots of the tree that it once enclosed, but which has been cut down to a stump, suggesting life underneath the surface as well as hope for the future.
Like the bench, all elements of a park seem present, yet with a surrealist or even fairytale-like twist. The soothing sound of flowing water adds to the tranquil atmosphere of the exhibition, yet the sprinkling does not stem from the fountain itself, but from a number of fish, clasped in the arms of a young, dollish girl.
Maria Rubinke is keenly aware of the legacy of her artistic medium. Her oeuvre, which once revolved around pure white porcelain, now primarily consists of pieces cast in bronze or carved in marble. Both costly and weighty materials, which, as they also represent most surviving ancient art works and therefore much of our cultural legacy in the West, require an artistic pledge as they’ll remain long after we are gone.
Like the bench, all elements of a park seem present, yet with a surrealist or even fairytale-like twist. The soothing sound of flowing water adds to the tranquil atmosphere of the exhibition, yet the sprinkling does not stem from the fountain itself, but from a number of fish, clasped in the arms of a young, dollish girl.
Maria Rubinke is keenly aware of the legacy of her artistic medium. Her oeuvre, which once revolved around pure white porcelain, now primarily consists of pieces cast in bronze or carved in marble. Both costly and weighty materials, which, as they also represent most surviving ancient art works and therefore much of our cultural legacy in the West, require an artistic pledge as they’ll remain long after we are gone.
Source:
Martin Asbæk Gallery
Martin Asbæk Gallery