Gow Langsford To Show New Sculptures By Australian Artist Patricia Piccinini Later This Year

Gow Langsford is delighted to present We are nourished by the unknown, the gallery’s inaugural solo exhibition by Australia-based artist Patricia Piccinini.

- Piccinini is an internationally acclaimed artist, who has exhibited in prestigious institutions throughout the world.
- She is best known for her silicone sculptures, which present hybrid human-like figures with altered physical characteristics.
- Gow Langsford Gallery is now representing the artist. This is her first solo exhibition at a NZ dealer gallery on from 28 August - 21 September 2024.
- The artist will be in Auckland for the opening.

“My practice is focused on bodies and relationships, the relationships between people and other creatures, between people and our bodies, between creatures and the environment, between the artificial and the natural. I am particularly interested in the way that the everyday realities of the world around us change these relations. Perhaps because of this, many have looked at my practice in terms of science and technology, however, for me it is just as informed by Surrealism and mythology. My work aims to shift the way that people look at the world around them and question their assumptions about the relationships they have with the world.” - Patricia Piccinini

A key inclusion in We are nourished by the unknown is The Bridge, a 2023 work that combines two figures – one human and the other a hybrid, or ‘himera’ as the artist refers to them. The non-human figure has a pig-like snout and tusks along with multiple nipples, though its cheekbones, eyes and hair are human-like. It appears aged and vulnerable, and in the care of its human attendant. Piccinini describes it as follows, “my work presents a woman supporting a chimeric creature. A chimera is a creature made up of different species and this creature’s form combines characteristics of both humans and pigs.”

Piccinini produced The Bridge in response to works in the collection of the Museum Sint-Janshospitaal in Bruges, Belgium in 2023. The museum is situated in a 12th century hospital, and it hosts a collection exploring the theme of care and caring. Tapping into that theme, Piccinini created this work, responding to other works in the collection. She states, “I saw an amazing opportunity here to respond directly to a work from the collection itself, and I was particularly struck by Lancelot Blondeel’s painting of the Good Samaritan.”

“In the biblical context, the Samaritans were ‘others’, foreigners who were disparaged and scorned. Yet in this story it is the Samaritan who cares for the injured man even though he knows that it would be unlikely that he would get the same care if the tables were turned. This is a story about someone placing the importance of care so high that he ignores the boundaries between people. You can see why this story has a place in the hospital, and it also really resonates with me. In my work we see a similar image of care, although in this case it is the boundary between species that is being ignored.” The effect is striking, evoking a sense of empathy towards the chimera, which could well otherwise conjure apprehension or uneasiness.

The Bridge is exhibited alongside a range of other works including The Pacifist, The Protégé, and Safely Together. These works operate similarly, drawing compassionate responses from viewers in spite of the strangeness of their chimerical appearances. For instance, the features of The Pacifist and The Protégé appear infant-like, potentially eliciting parental protectiveness in viewers.

In addition to these silicone sculptural works, We are nourished by the unknown includes a number of glass works and works on paper, showcasing some of the depth of Piccinini’s remarkable artistic practice.

Gow Langsford Gallery
Auckland CBD
28 August - 21 September 2024
Opening Preview: Tuesday 27 August 2024, 5-7pm

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