Lutz Bacher
Black Beauty
25 September–17 November 2013
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Mall
London
SW1Y 5AH
T +44 20 7930 3647
The ICA is delighted to present Black Beauty, the first major solo exhibition in the UK by American artist Lutz Bacher. Occupying an important position in contemporary art practice, Lutz Bacher’s work is receiving increasing levels of international recognition. Black Beauty provides a unique opportunity to see Bacher’s new works made specifically for the ICA together with recent work for the first time in London.
Since the beginning of her career in the 1970s, Bacher has drawn upon disconnected information from popular culture and her own life, producing works that play with the inter-changeability of identity, sexuality and the human body. Bacher uses images and objects in a physical, sometimes visceral manner, conducting arrangements of seemingly disparate entities and allowing them to interact in new ways. The artist’s expansive work explores human identity as it is defined through gender, sexuality and the human body. Lutz Bacher is as elusive as her work is ambiguous, perhaps preferring not to dictate how her works should be viewed.
The exhibition at the ICA will present new and recent works which combine striking installations with film, sound and sculpture. At the core of the exhibition will be Black Beauty (2012), several tons of black silicate, which will flow throughout the lower gallery. This piece will be paired with a sound work, Puck (2012), which will envelope the viewer as they move through the space. The audio recording of the character Puck at the conclusion of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is repeated with different emphases and pronunciations. In addition, Angels (2013), a found broken mirror, will be reconfigured and placed within Black Beauty. Black Magic (2013) is a new site-specific work made from black vibrating ‘astroturf’ that will be displayed along the full length of the concourse in the lower gallery.
The entrance to the upper galleries will feature It’s Golden (2013), a new work made from iridescent gold mylar. Accompanying this will be Chess (2012), featuring a looped audio work of Elvis Presley crooning in the background. Bacher’s interpretation of narratives is further explored in the new installation Horse Shadow (2010–12), which will slowly rotate, casting shadows across the gallery walls. This will be paired with Horse Painting (2010).
The enigmatic and eclectic mixture of ideas that Bacher brings together are full of personal and philosophical significance and are frequently driven by tactical humour.
This exhibition is made possible with support from Galeri Buchholz, Greene Naftali Gallery and The Lutz Bacher Exhibition Supporters Group.
Related talks and events:
“Do You Love Me?”
Saturday–Sunday 5–6 October, from 11:30am
“The Trouble with the Pseudonym”
Wednesday 9 October, 6:45pm
“Installation Art Now: Theatre, Site, Object”
Thursday 21 November, 6:45pm
Culture Now
Uriel Orlow
Friday 27 September, 1pm
Arthur Baker with Gregor Muir
Friday 4 October, 1pm
Shannon Ebner with Stuart Comer
Friday 18 October, 1pm
Roger Hiorns with Clare Lilley
Friday 25 October, 1pm
Adam Chodzko with Katharine Stout
Friday 1 November, 1pm
Touring Talks
Lutz Bacher: Black Beauty
Emma Smith
Thursday 10 October, 6:30pm
Matt Williams
Thursday 7 November, 6:30pm
ICA Student Forum
“Reel Portraits”
Wednesday 6 November, 6pm
“Intermediality: Exploring Relationships in Art”
Saturday 16 November, 2pm
Artists’ Film Club
Jonathas de Andrade
Saturday 28 September, 4–6pm
(shown on loop from 4pm)
Anja Kirschner and David Panos + Q&A
Wednesday 2 October, 7pm
ICA Offsite at Sunday Art Fair: New Work curated by Steven Cairns and Matt Williams
17–20 October
Agnieszka Polska + Q&A
Wednesday 30 October, 7pm
Ulla von Brandenburg
Saturday 2 November, 5pm
Aurélien Froment + Q&A
Wednesday 13 November, 7pm
ICA Artist Editions
We have a new edition to accompany Black Beauty by Lutz Bacher.
For information contact: vicky.steer [at] ica.org.uk | T +44 (0) 20 7766 1425 | www.ica.org.uk/editions
Members receive up to 25% discount; all proceeds support the ICA.
Press information: Naomi Crowther | Press Officer | ICA | naomi.crowther [at] ica.org.uk | T +020 7766 1407
Titles and dates:
ICA Off-Site: The Old Selfridges Hotel
A Journey Through London Subculture: 1980s to Now
13 September–20 October
Gerald Cinamon: Collected Work Since 1958
4 September–6 October
Design by John Cheim
15 October–17 November
Zhang Enli: Space Painting
16 October–22 December
