 |
 |
The main theme in the work of French artist Raphaël Denis is his reworking of the events of the Second World War and its history. His primary motif is our non-oblivion of art objects destroyed during WWII through the National Socialists.
Part of his concept are various installations in the shape of heavy bunkers, symbolizing a certain stability and order. The bunker represents an element of opposing contrasts. On the one hand, it symbolizes protection and stability, on the other hand loneliness and intimidation. These sculptural works are paired with a video installation that reproduces the sound of a metronome as its background. The constant repetition of these tones is intended to show the hustle and bustle of the time and thus strengthen the seriousness in his oeuvre.
With his installation 'Vernichtet’ (Destroyed) for which Denis uses old frames, his subject is also taken up to commemorate the incineration of numerous ‘degenerate' works of art.
His heavy materials such as concrete also point to the confrontation with historical content in his work. The overall appearance of these conceptual works is characterized by its very sober note, which is underlined by the black and white work.
For the Parisian, born in 1979, this is his first exhibition in Berlin |
