Digital Editions
Newsletters
Subscribe
Digital Editions
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Exhibitions
archive

Hartmut Wilkening's barefoot bigwigs come to Galerie Voss

Putin unwinds in Düsseldorf

Donald Lee
31 March 2002
Share

Media celebrities and politicians are Wilkening’s subject, but unlike most celebrity magazines, he chooses to focus not on their good looks, wealth, royal and/or popular status and fashion sense. He attempts in this show (until 20 April), against the odds, to expand our appreciation of them. Although he shows eight figures of famous people, appropriately enough, in larger than life-size ceramic likenesses, he none the less depicts them barefoot, in sports dress (undoubtedly these visual semantics are meant to alert us to the sympathy the rich and famous have for ordinary people and to their need to relax from their strenuous duties), in attitudes reminiscent of Oriental warming up exercises (reminding us that their status is the result of the exercise of their considerable powers and of their need to prepare themselves for every public appearance). Among others, Wilkening honours Vladimir Putin, shown in a Yogic spine stretching exercise; Tony Blair, being given a classic Shiatsu stretch by Jean Claude van Cauwenberghe, the prime minister of Wallonia in Belgium.

Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Hartmut Wilkening: warming up'

ExhibitionsGermanyVladimir PutinWhat's onHartmut Wilkening
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Instagram
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
© The Art Newspaper

Related content

Exhibitionsarchive
1 March 2010

Marina Abramovic's the Artist is Present at MoMA

This massive retrospective will include recreations of past pieces as well as a new, physically demanding work

Helen Stoilas