mixed media
2019
Many artists have artworks stored away in their studios — pieces created long ago, no longer exhibited, overlooked and gathering dust. With Image Shelter Zero Killed, these works were brought into the light of day again by placing them in cages made from bamboo and papier-mâché. Visitors were invited to open the cages, hold the artworks, and examine them closely — creating a direct, tactile connection between the two.
Every artwork on display was available for adoption. Visitors could approach the adoption desk to learn more about each piece and its history. After choosing a work, they signed an adoption contract, promising to care for the piece according to specific guidelines. They then left the exhibition with their adopted artwork, accompanied by a “passport” documenting its origin and the terms of care. Over time, as artworks were adopted and taken home, the cages grew emptier, making the remaining pieces appear more vulnerable and evoking deeper empathy. In total, over 100 artworks found new homes.
Image Shelter grew out of three main ideas: an interest in ways of presenting, by grouping unrelated pieces together in cages like animals in a shelter; a love for art in domestic settings— in moments when a piece catches your eye while doing daily tasks, giving it the opportunity to evolve in meaning alongside the life of the people who share their home with it; and an animistic empathy for artworks that no longer receive attention, sparking the desire to give them a warm home and a loving glance.
Image Shelter Zero Killed was part of On (Déca)/de/ans/ce (2019), 20 Years of S.M.A.K. (2019), and Etcetera (2019).