Berlinde De Bruyckere on Horses as Symbols of Human Suffering
In an interview with the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art's web TV, Belgian artist Berlinde De Bruyckere (born 1964 in Ghent) discusses her recurring use of horse imagery in sculptures since the late 1990s. She explains that horses possess a human quality and sensitivity. The motif originated in 1999 when she was commissioned to create a work for a World War I museum; she was deeply moved by images of dead horses abandoned in cities, which for her represent the immense, collective grief of war. The horse's large, strong body becomes a symbol of human cruelty and the solitude of death, embodying a grief that cannot be captured by individual loss.
Key facts
- Berlinde De Bruyckere was born in Ghent in 1964.
- She has used horse imagery in sculptures since the late 1990s.
- The horse motif began in 1999 with a commission for a World War I museum.
- She was inspired by images of dead horses abandoned in cities during war.
- The horse symbolizes human cruelty and the solitude of death.
- The interview was conducted by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art's web TV.
- De Bruyckere states horses have a human quality and sensitivity.
- She sees the horse as representing collective grief rather than individual loss.
Entities
Artists
- Berlinde De Bruyckere
Institutions
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Locations
- Ghent
- Belgium
- Copenhagen
- Denmark