Louise Bourgeois

Hamburg

Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) was one of the most important and influential artists of our time. In celebration of the centenary of her birth, the Hamburger Kunsthalle is presenting Passage dangereux, an exhibition showcasing sculptures, installations, etchings, tapestries and textile works from the last fifteen years of the artist’s life.

Standing tall on the platform in front of the museum, a nine-metre-high sculpture of a spider greets visitors and passers-by. Attractive and menacing at the same time, this monumental piece made of bronze, steel and marble provides a key to understanding Louise Bourgeois’s art. As the title suggests, Maman is a tribute to the artist’s mother, who worked as a tapestry restorer and was therefore, like a spider, continually engaged in repairing web-like textures. The spider is also a powerful symbol of the eternal renewal of life. Employing a highly original and fascinating visual language, Louise Bourgeois addressed fundamental themes of human existence: fear, abandonment, memory, sexuality, love, and death.

Next to her solo art works, Louise Bourgeois collaborated with Austrian fashion designer Helmut Lang and got hence an insight glimpse into the fashion world. Next to some corporate designs, it was because of Lang that her art works found their way into exceptional exhibition spaces such as stores or perfumeries.

Hamburger Kunsthalle

February 10th – June 17th, 2012
Glockengießerwall
20095 Hamburg
Germany

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