David Claerbout's 'Repose' Opens at Esther Schipper Berlin with Four Premiere Works
David Claerbout's solo exhibition, titled Repose, is currently on display at Esther Schipper Berlin, marking his second showcase with the gallery. The exhibition features four works making their Berlin debut: The woodcarver and the forest, 2025; Birdcage, 2023; Backwards Growing Tree, 2023; and Eagle Eye, 2026. Alongside the films, various works on paper are also presented. Each film delves into the connection between humanity and nature, as well as our perceptions of the environment. The woodcarver and the forest portrays a woodcarver repetitively crafting spoons, revealing the environmental consequences of his actions. In Birdcage, a serene garden scene is violently disrupted, continuing Claerbout's themes of time, perception, and ecological impact.
Key facts
- Esther Schipper Berlin presents a solo exhibition by David Claerbout.
- The exhibition is Claerbout's second with the gallery.
- The show is titled Repose.
- Four works are shown for the first time in Berlin: The woodcarver and the forest (2025), Birdcage (2023), Backwards Growing Tree (2023), and Eagle Eye (2026).
- Works on paper are also exhibited alongside the videos.
- All films explore the relationship to nature and how we see the world.
- The woodcarver and the forest shows a woodcarver making spoons while the forest outside is depleted.
- Birdcage features a stately home's gardens that become the site of a violent eruption.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Esther Schipper Berlin
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany