Bodies of Work
Kiki Smith at Haus der Kunst
Kiki Smith has been a major figure in the art world for several decades, but her career has been relatively subdued outside of America. However, Munich’s Haus der Kunst is looking to change this with a major survey of Smith’s work in a new exhibition called Procession. Curated by Petra Giloy-Hirtz, a viewer immediately sees the magical and disturbing qualities that has made Smith such an admirable and singular artist over the years.
As mentioned in the museum’s press release, it is necessary to note the importance of bodies for the artist. For Smith, the body become a major hub for the artist’s interests and themes. This may seem like a catchall, with bodies often symbolizing everything from spirituality, identity, violence, history, death, and sex. However, without the complicated, stuffed, and messy inclusion of all types of symbols and meanings, the power of Smith’s work actually becomes less diluted and more poignant.
With all of this in mind, one begins to wonder how Smith manages to pull it off. The answer seems to be in the materials. It is immediately apparent that everything is clearly considered and masterfully handled. In one exhibition you can see preserved body fluids, delicate craft techniques juxtaposed by cast bronze, organs rendered in glass, and fragile paper replicating skin. This eclectic list of materials and skills offers up just as many allegories and narratives in return. For example, Head with Bird from 1994 is a sculpture that shows a bronze cast of human head with a bird perched on the neck and peeking into the human’s eyes. One senses that the head has been decapitated, since the neck is stretched back and the mouth is slack. The bronze cast is rough and dark, while the bird glimmers in shades of silver. In a mocking way, it almost looks like the bird is feeding its weak offspring. This work illustrates the supremacy of nature, and the vulnerability of our own existence. Head with Bird, a compact little sculpture, suddenly holds quite a lot of weight.
With a fixation on bodily forms, including human, animal, and everything in between, Kiki Smith creates individuals and scenes that we can identify with and learn from. The museum notes that the title Procession means “to pass by” in Latin, and this feels appropriate. We can visit and learn from the realm of Kiki Smith, but we are simply passing through her world.
