Kienholz's Hoerengracht at the National Gallery, London

The National Gallery in London presented Ed and Nancy Kienholz's installation 'The Hoerengracht' from November 18, 2009 to February 21, 2010. Created between 1983 and 1988, the work reconstructs the alleyways of Amsterdam's red-light district at full scale. The title puns on Herengracht (gentlemen's canal) into Hoerengracht (whores' canal). Twelve female figures sit behind dirty windows, their bodies cast from friends of the artists and topped with anonymous mannequin heads. The contrast between standardized faces and flabby bodies highlights a divorce of flesh and spirit, emphasized by glass boxes imprisoning the faces. Sticky secretions coat the mannequins, windows, and curtains, creating a melancholic atmosphere. Everyday details—porcelain dogs, abandoned cigarettes, still lifes—transform the effigies into portraits. The work is considered one of the Kienholzes' most accomplished, blending assemblage pioneer Ed Kienholz's signature junk aesthetic and provocation with a newfound compassion, contrasting with earlier works like Roxy's (1961).