The (Re)Birth of Venus - curatorial statement

This exhibition seeks to rediscover Venus: ideological and contemporary. As the title suggests, this show aims to encourage a philosophical discussion: is it possible to talk of a rebirth of Venus?

 

The genesis of the goddess has deep roots in Roman and Greek mythology. The Greek poet Hesiod writes that Aphrodite (Venus) arose from the mixture of semen, blood and seawater after the genitals of Uranos were cut off by Kronos and thrown into the sea. She's the result of this violent act of mutilation mixed with the erratic and furious sea.

During the Quattrocento, this mythological tale was artistically painted by Sandro Botticelli, and since then, his painting has become a visual and thematic reference for many artists who have dealt with the representation of Venus.

Her birth is a strongly symbolic happening that is charged with a pronounced mysticism. Venus is the embodiment of beauty and purity and with this term one automatically associates not only harmony and balance, but also perfection.

 

For this exhibition 12 artists were selected who went on the “search” of Venus. The artists have not only represented Venus in a contemporary, ironic or realistic way, but they have expanded, translated and reinterpreted artistically and strongly rhetorically the symbolic basis of this long-outdated ideology. The particularity of the exhibition is that this Venus concept was understood differently by each artist, because the question that consequently arises is: how does the Venus approach look like in the 21st century? How can artists let themselves be inspired by a famous image from the 15th century without retaining the old Venus message? Most likely, the beauty and the idiosyncrasy of Venus also lies in the fact that her symbolism can be adapted thematically anytime.