Cyprien Gaillard's 'Désespoir des singes' Opens at Simian, Copenhagen
Cyprien Gaillard's exhibition titled 'Désespoir des singes' is currently showcased at Simian in Copenhagen. A key highlight of the exhibition is 'Geographical Analogies,' which comprises nine Polaroids captured between 2006 and 2012, displayed on rounded bases around the venue's columns. These Polaroids, taken in the now-obsolete Spectra format, serve as a visual record of locations and objects influenced by human activity. Presented without protective glass, they mimic natural history specimens. Additionally, 'Knife Handles' features wooden blocks designed for custom knife handles, reflecting material history. The exhibition delves into analogies, uncovering connections between unrelated elements, with the monkey puzzle tree representing resilience and humanity's struggle to comprehend time.
Key facts
- Cyprien Gaillard's exhibition 'Désespoir des singes' is presented at Simian in Copenhagen.
- The title refers to the French name for the monkey puzzle tree, an indigenous Chilean species sacred to the Pehuenche people.
- The exhibition includes the series 'Geographical Analogies,' groupings of nine Polaroids taken between 2006 and 2012.
- The Polaroids are mounted on rounded supports wrapping around Simian's structural columns, floating from the pillars.
- The photographs were made using the now defunct Polaroid Spectra format.
- The works are displayed without glass or protective coverings, resembling natural history museum specimens.
- 'Knife Handles' consists of wooden blocks intended for custom knife handles, cut from exceptionally old or cultivated wood.
- Gaillard employs analogy, a concept from Aristotle and Euclid meaning 'according to proportion,' to reveal correspondences between disparate things.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Simian
Locations
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Chile
- Pencarrow
- Cornwall