WALLWERK

JOSEPHINE BAKER, BRITTNI ANN HARVEY, COLE LU
FEBRUARY 26 - APRIL 17, 2021

-> TEXT BY CÉDRIC FAUQ (EN)
-> TEXT VON CÉDRIC FAUQ (DE)

COLE LU - ACROSS THE DECK, I CAN HEAR MY MOTHER GASP AT THE SOUND OF RATTLING METAL. NOTHING LOOKS LIKE WHAT IT WAS HERE BEFORE. SHADOWS MOVE AROUND OVER THE DECK, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE BUT A CROWD OF WHITE FACES ROARING LIFTOFF! (THE OCEAN IS NEAR, THE SEA, FAR), 2021, BLACK BRUSHED STAINLESS STEEL, SEXTANT (PEDESTAL: METAL, CONCRETE PLASTER), 35.6 x 66 x 6.3 CM

COLE LU - (DETAILS) ACROSS THE DECK, I CAN HEAR MY MOTHER GASP AT THE SOUND OF RATTLING METAL. NOTHING LOOKS LIKE WHAT IT WAS HERE BEFORE. SHADOWS MOVE AROUND OVER THE DECK, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE BUT A CROWD OF WHITE FACES ROARING LIFTOFF! (THE OCEAN IS NEAR, THE SEA, FAR), 2021, BLACK BRUSHED STAINLESS STEEL, SEXTANT (PEDESTAL: METAL, CONCRETE PLASTER), 35.6 x 66 x 6.3 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - LAMB OF GOD (BOWING ROBOT DOG), 2021, EMBROIDERED POLYESTER, PLYWOOD, POLYPILL, BRONZE, 50 X 105 X 60 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - LAMB OF GOD (BOWING ROBOT DOG) (DETAILS), 2021, EMBROIDERED POLYESTER, PLYWOOD, POLYPILL, BRONZE, 50 X 105 X 60 CM

COLE LU - BECAUSE OF ALL THESE BURNS ON THE BODY, WE ARE SITTING ON THE ICE. LATER HE LEARNED TO USE A WOOD PLANK TO MAKE A BACK BRACE, STRAPPED THE WING TIGHT (GERYON), 2021, BURNT LINEN, RUBBERWOOD, 62.2 X 40.6 X 5.1 CM

COLE LU - (DETAILS) BECAUSE OF ALL THESE BURNS ON THE BODY, WE ARE SITTING ON THE ICE. LATER HE LEARNED TO USE A WOOD PLANK TO MAKE A BACK BRACE, STRAPPED THE WING TIGHT (GERYON), 2021, BURNT LINEN, RUBBERWOOD, 62.2 X 40.6 X 5.1 CM

COLE LU - OF COURSE, PAIN IS A CONDITION, AND ALL CONDITIONS ARE TEMPORARY. HE WALKED THE WIDTH OF HIS MIND THROUGH THE ALPS WITH BLOOD IN HIS TEETH (“LET THEM ALONE: THEY ARE BLIND, AND LEADERS OF THE BLIND. AND IF THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND, BOTH WILL FALL INTO THE PIT”) , 2021, BURNT LINEN, RUBBER WOOD, 62.2 X 40.6 X 5.1 CM

COLE LU - (DETAILS) OF COURSE, PAIN IS A CONDITION, AND ALL CONDITIONS ARE TEMPORARY. HE WALKED THE WIDTH OF HIS MIND THROUGH THE ALPS WITH BLOOD IN HIS TEETH (“LET THEM ALONE: THEY ARE BLIND, AND LEADERS OF THE BLIND. AND IF THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND, BOTH WILL FALL INTO THE PIT”) , 202, BURNT LINEN, RUBBER WOOD, 62.2 X 40.6 X 5.1 CM

JOSEPHINE BAKER - CROSSING (1), 2021, ANTICLIMB SPIKES, BRASS BARS, CAULK, CHARCOAL, COTTON WOOL, DOVER CHALK, GLASS, GROUT, PAINTS, PIGMENTS, PINE, PLASTER, PLYWOOD, ROOFING FELT, SCREWS, SILICONE, TILES, WOOD PIPING BRACKETS, 120 x 174 x 43 CM

JOSEPHINE BAKER - CROSSING (1) (DETAILS), 2021, ANTICLIMB SPIKES, BRASS BARS, CAULK, CHARCOAL, COTTON WOOL, DOVER CHALK, GLASS, GROUT, PAINTS, PIGMENTS, PINE, PLASTER, PLYWOOD, ROOFING FELT, SCREWS, SILICONE, TILES, WOOD PIPING BRACKETS, 120 x 174 x 43 CM

COLE LU - ON THE SEVENTEEN-DAY HE AWOKE FROM THE CAVE WHILE OTHERS WERE STILL SLEEPING, HE THOUGHT ONLY ONE DAY HAS PASSED, BUT THE SUNDIAL IS ALL WEATHERED AND AGED DECADES OVER THE NIGHT. NO ONE OUTSIDE THE CAVE SPEAKS HIS LANGUAGE ANYMORE. HE POINTED TO THE NIGHT SKY WHERE HE NEEDED TO BE, BUT EVERYONE AROUND HIM COULD NOT SEE. ( “I TOOK THE BUS THAT I WAS TOLD TO TAKE, AND I GOT OFF—WELL IT WAS THE VERY LAST STOP, SO I HAD TO GET OFF, I ASKED THE DRIVER WAS THIS BROOKLYN, AND HE NODDED YES, BUT HE WAS FROM ONE OF THOSE FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHERE THEY THINK ITS GOOD MANNERS TO NOD AT EVERYTHING EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS YOU’RE NODDING AT, AND IN TRUTH I THINK HE SPOKE NO ENGLISH AT ALL, WHICH I THINK WOULD MAKE HIM INELIGIBLE FOR EMPLOYMENT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THE PUBLIC BEING ENGLISH-SPEAKING, MOSTLY. DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?”/ THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND) / AM SIEBTEN TAG ERWACHTE ER IN DER HÖHLE WÄHREND DIE ANDEREN NOCH SCHLIEFEN, ER DACHTE, ERST EIN TAG IST VERGANGENEN, DENNOCH IST DIE SONNENUHR VERWITTERT UND UM DEKADEN GEALTERT ÜBER NACHT. NIEMAND MEHR AUSSSERHALB DER HÖHLE SPRICHT NOCH SEINE SPRACHE. ER DEUTETE AUF DEN NÄCHTLICHEN HIMMEL, WO ER SEIN SOLLTE, ABER JEDER UM IHN HERUM KONNTE NICHT SEHEN. („ICH NAHM DEN BUS, DEN MAN MIR SAGTE, DASS ICH NEHMEN SOLL, UND ICH STIEG AUS – NUN JA, ES WAR DIE ALLERLETZTE STATION, ALSO MUSSTE ICH AUSSTEIGEN, ICH FRAGTE DEN FAHRER, IST DAS HIER BROOKLYN, UND ER NICKTE, JA, ABER ER WAR AUS EINEM DIESER FREMDEN LÄNDERN, WO MAN DENKT, ES ZEIGE GUTE MANIEREN, ALLEM ZUZUNICKEN, AUCH WENN DU GAR NICHT WEISST, WAS DU GERADE NICKEND BEJAHST, UND IN WIRKLICHKEIT HAT ER GAR KEIN ENGLISCH GESPROCHEN, WAS IHN EIGENTLICH UNTAUGLICH MACHT FÜR EINE ANSTELLUNG IM ÖFFENTLICHEN VERKEHR. DIE ÖFFENTLICHKEIT IST ENGLISCH-SPRECHEND, GRÖSSTENTEILS. SPRICHST DU ENGLISCH?“ / DIE BLINDEN FÜHREN DIE BLINDEN), 2021, BURNT HARDBOARD, SILVER PLATE, STEREOSCOPE, STEREO CARD, MARBLE (PEDESTAL: METAL, CONCRETE PLASTER), 30.5 X 45.7 X 20.3 CM

COLE LU - (DETAILS)

JOSEPHINE BAKER - CROSSING (2) (BACK SIDE), 2021, ALUMINIUM TUBING AND ROOFING SECTIONS, ANTICLIMB SPIKES, BLACK SAND, CHALK, CHARCOAL, DOVER CHALK, CLAY, FILLER, MDF, MORTAR, NAILS, GLASS, PAINTS, PIGMENTS, PINE, PLASTER, PLYWOOD, SCREWS, STEEL THREADING AND NUTS, TERRACOTTA TILES, 112 X 170 X 33 CM

JOSEPHINE BAKER - CROSSING (2) (FRONT SIDE), 2021, ALUMINIUM TUBING AND ROOFING SECTIONS, ANTICLIMB SPIKES, BLACK SAND, CHALK, CHARCOAL, DOVER CHALK, CLAY, FILLER, MDF, MORTAR, NAILS, GLASS, PAINTS, PIGMENTS, PINE, PLASTER, PLYWOOD, SCREWS, STEEL THREADING AND NUTS, TERRACOTTA TILES, 112 X 170 X 33 CM

JOSEPHINE BAKER - CROSSING (2) (DETAILS), 2021, ALUMINIUM TUBING AND ROOFING SECTIONS, ANTICLIMB SPIKES, BLACK SAND, CHALK, CHARCOAL, DOVER CHALK, CLAY, FILLER, MDF, MORTAR, NAILS, GLASS, PAINTS, PIGMENTS, PINE, PLASTER, PLYWOOD, SCREWS, STEEL THREADING AND NUTS, TERRACOTTA TILES, 112 X 170 X 33 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - DUALITY DEVILS, 2021, EMBROIDERED WOOL, PLYWOOD, POLYPILL, BRONZE, 38.1 X 38.1 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - DUALITY DEVILS (DETAILS), 2021, EMBROIDERED WOOL, PLYWOOD, POLYPILL, BRONZE, 38.1 X 38.1 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - DOVE DIVES WEST, 2021, OIL ON BURLAP, 25.4 X 20.3 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - WILTED, NOT DEAD, 2021, OIL ON BURLAP, 25.4 X 20.3 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - MENDING, 2021, OIL ON BURLAP, 25.4 X 20.3 CM

COLE LU - "THERE ARE NO GODS HERE, NO GHOSTS AND SPIRITS IN AMERICA, THERE ARE NO ANGELS IN AMERICA, NO SPIRITUAL PAST, NO RACIAL PAST, THERE'S ONLY THE POLITICAL, AND THE DECOYS AND THE PLOYS” (MARE INSULARUM), 2021, GALVANISED STEEL, SOAPSTONE, SIZE VARIED

COLE LU - (DETAILS) "THERE ARE NO GODS HERE, NO GHOSTS AND SPIRITS IN AMERICA, THERE ARE NO ANGELS IN AMERICA, NO SPIRITUAL PAST, NO RACIAL PAST, THERE'S ONLY THE POLITICAL, AND THE DECOYS AND THE PLOYS” (MARE INSULARUM), 2021, GALVANISED STEEL, SOAPSTONE, SIZE VARIED

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - LAMB OF GOD (CLOVER W/ WHITE) & LAMB OF GOD (CLOVER W/ BLACK), 2021, EMBROIDERED POLYESTER, PLYWOOD, POLYPILL, BRONZE, 60.3 X 27.9 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - LAMB OF GOD (CLOVER W/ WHITE), 2021, EMBROIDERED POLYESTER, PLYWOOD, POLYPILL, BRONZE, 60.3 X 27.9 CM

BRITTNI ANN HARVEY - LAMB OF GOD (CLOVER W/ BLACK), 2021, EMBROIDERED POLYESTER, PLYWOOD, POLYPILL, BRONZE, 60.3 X 27.9 CM

In 1822, Munich-based astronomer and urologist Franz von Paula Gruithuisen (1774 – 1852) believed he had discovered a city on the moon, through the observation of ramparts and walls on the satellite’s surface. He would publish the results of his research two years later in Discovery of Many Distinct Traces of Lunar Inhabitants, Especially of One of Their Colossal Buildings (1824) and gave a name to the city. It would be called Wallwerk. Nearly 200 years later, an exhibition of the same name lands at Nir Altman gallery, containing newly-produced sculptures, paintings, engravings and other wall works by Brittni Ann Harvey, Josephine Baker and Cole Lu.
Text by Cédric Fauq

-> BRITTNI ANN HARVEY’S CV
-> COLE LU’S CV
-> JOSEPHINE BAKER’S CV