Useless Sacrifice by Anna Uddenberg

Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum is pleased to present Useless Sacrifice, a short film by Berlin-based, Swedish artist Anna Uddenberg produced in collaboration with co-director Thyago Sainte. Known for her hypersexualized sculptures of female figures, Uddenberg has long been intrigued by the concept of imitated authenticity. Her work delves into the intersection of various forms of fetishism, from BDSM and other sexual expressions to Instagram influencers and the insidious grip of capitalist commodification.

Set within the dual settings of her recent exhibitions at Meredith Rosen Gallery in New York City and Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin, Uddenberg’s latest project extends these investigations into the medium of film, using her sculptures as uncanny objects enacted upon by rigidly professional women and young men in adult diapers. In the film, both gallery settings are activated with a performative narrative that positions the female protagonist in a place of authority, confronting and subverting gender normativity.

Useless Sacrifice seamlessly integrates elements synonymous with Uddenberg's performance art, featuring audacious, yet meticulously designed sculptures that invite contemplation on power dynamics, agency, and the pervasive influence of aspiration culture. As the artist states, "My work is an exploration of the commodification of the self and the quest to transform oneself into a marketable product."

Useless Sacrifice marks a significant milestone for the artist as it represents Uddenberg’s inaugural foray into the world of film, and her first film premiere in the United States. The film was co-commissioned by Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum, The Perimeter, and Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler. 

Useless Sacrifice has a 20-minute runtime and will premiere online via Black Cube’s YouTube channel followed by a pre-recorded interview with the artist and Black Cube's Execuitive Director + Chief Curator. 

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About Anna Uddenberg   
Anna Uddenberg (b. 1982, Stockholm, Sweden) lives and works in Berlin and Stockholm. She studied at Frankfurt Städelschule and Stockholm’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Her works have been shown internationally in solo and group exhibitions, including at Meredith Rosen Gallery, New York (2023); Taipei Fine Arts Museum (2023); Centre Pompidou Metz (2023); Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin (2022); Berghain Panoramabar, Berlin (2020); Athens Biennale, Athens (2018); Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, Sankt Gallen (2018); House of Gaga Mexico City (2017); Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne (2017); Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw (2017). Additionally, Uddenberg was the 2020 artist fellow for Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum in Denver, CO, the recipient of the Hector Kunstpreis, 2022 and Overbeck-Preis für bildende Kunst, 2023.

About Black Cube
Black Cube is a nonprofit, nomadic art museum headquartered in Denver, Colorado. By operating outside of traditional museum confines, Black Cube endeavors to reach diverse audiences across the globe while supporting artists’ sustainability. At its core, Black Cube stimulates the public realm with ambitious, experimental, and engaging contemporary art that seeks to inspire. To advance its mission, Black Cube offers an artist fellowship, exhibitions, and public programming focused on sustaining artists’ careers and forming meaningful relationships with audiences. Black Cube was founded by philanthropist, Laura Merage, and is supported by the David and Laura Merage Foundation and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Learn more at www.blackcube.art.