Wim Delvoye's Gothic Twists at the Louvre

The Louvre presents a focused exhibition of Belgian artist Wim Delvoye, known for his Cloaca machine and tattooed pigs, from May 31 to September 17, 2012. Curated with precision by Marie-Laure Bernadac, the show contrasts with Delvoye's concurrent hyper-productive display at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin. In the Napoleon III apartments and the objets d'art department, Delvoye's metal sculptures—twisted, 'tourbillonaire' forms—engage in a dialogue with historical pieces. Highlights include 'tapidermised' pigs covered in Indian silk carpets placed among red velvet furniture, and a dining table set with coiled metal crucifixes. A stained-glass window features Christ figures twisted like DNA. In the medieval department, a monumental 'flayed' chapel reveals entrails through its stained glass, surrounded by 15th-century Flemish reliquaries. The installation 'Suppo', a twisted gothic steel spire under the pyramid, disappoints due to scale. Delvoye's fascination with Gothic style and architect Viollet-le-Duc is evident throughout.