Simryn Gill: Domino Theory
November 26, 2014–January 18, 2015
Opening: Wednesday, November 26, 7pm
Espace Louis Vuitton München
Maximilianstraße 2a
80539 München
Germany
Hours: Monday–Friday noon–7pm,
Saturday 10am–6pm
Admission free
T +49 89 55 89 38 100
info_espace [at] de.vuitton.com
www.louisvuitton.de/Espace-Louis-Vuitton
The Espace Louis Vuitton München is pleased to present its second exhibition, Domino Theory, by Simryn Gill, which constitutes the third and final chapter of IN SITU-1, a new residency and open studio program conceived at three locations of the international Espaces network: Munich, Paris and Tokyo. This joint initiative invites three international female artists to the three distinct spaces over a six-month period. Each project lasts four months and provides the guest artist with a carte blanche to produce and present new work in the locus of the gallery, offering an unprecedented opportunity for the public to witness both the process and the outcome of artistic expression.
Between September and November, the Malaysian artist Simryn Gill took up residence at the Munich Espace. During her sojourn, Gill occupied the two levels of the gallery to develop new work for her first solo exhibition in Germany.
The lower gallery presents an installation of 14 large vitrines designed by the artist and the Belgian architect, Hilde Daem. They are filled with materials sent from Port Dickson, Malaysia, where Gill lives and works. Comprising bricks, tiles, stones and corals collected from beaches, and cubes made from termite soil, they are catalogued in the vitrines based on form, material, function, size, colour and other systems known only to the artist. The work, titled Domino Theory, refers to a term coined by the US government during the Cold War, which hypothesised that if one country in Southeast Asia was seduced by Communism, the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect. However, the serial nature and context of the installation eventually suggest that consumer culture may have triumphed above all.
The upper level of the gallery was transformed into a studio for the duration of the artist’s residency. The outcome is two series of prints made from nearly 40 types of potatoes Gill collected from local markets. Titled Let them eat potatoes, these “potato portraits”—or studies—are produced on two types of German paper from 12 shades of Louis Vuitton writing ink and presented as illustrated manuscripts. This research into the shapes of potatoes, the colours of ink, and the qualities of paper, has also extended to a series of large circular ink paintings.
The final part of the exhibition is a series of photographs titled Channel, taken in a mangrove forest on the coast of Port Dickson. At first glance the trees and bushes appear to be wearing colourful “garments,” yet on closer examination, they are revealed to be entangled with plastic bags and discarded clothing washed ashore by the sea—remains of human activity which display hues similar to the inks of the potato prints, making an unexpected connection. The full set of photographs is reproduced in an artist book completed during the residency.
IN SITU-1 also supported the development and presentation of new works by the American artist Andrea Bowers in Paris (June 4, 2014–January 4, 2015), and by the Korean-born artist Min-Jeong Seo in Tokyo (September 13, 2014–January 4, 2015).
The program in Munich is accompanied by a collection of texts with contributions by Susanne Gaensheimer, a conversation between Simryn Gill and Jens Hoffmann, and new essays by three female writers: Katja Eichinger (for Munich), Kaori Ekuni (for Tokyo) and Christine Angot (for Paris).
About Simryn Gill
Simryn Gill was born in Singapore in 1959 and lives and works in Sydney, Australia and Port Dickson, Malaysia. Her wide-ranging practice includes sculpture, photography, drawing and writing. She works from her immediate surroundings employing often modest materials and methods in making works which are attentive to place, provenance and local and personal experience. Her most recent solo presentation, Here art grows on trees, was held in the Australian Pavilion of the 55th Venice Biennale, curated by Catherine de Zegher. Her work was included in dOCUMENTA (12) and dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel, Germany (2007, 2012) and numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2014), the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2013), the Getty Center, Los Angeles (2011), the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney (2008), and Tate Modern, London (2006).
About the Espace Louis Vuitton München
Conceived as independent art spaces, the Espaces Louis Vuitton are dedicated to contemporary cultural and artistic expression. The first Espace was inaugurated in 2006 in Paris, closely followed by Tokyo, Venice, and, most recently, by Munich. While all spaces engage specifically with their local contexts, their collective aim is to support emerging and established artists in developing new work, and to contribute to the broader discourse of contemporary art by presenting new curatorial encounters for the general public. With more than 320 square meters of dedicated space, the Espace Louis Vuitton München presents several feature exhibitions and an associated program of public events each year, free of charge.
For press and further inquiries, please contact:
Bastian Lerdon, Communications, Espace Louis Vuitton München
b.lerdon [at] de.vuitton.com / T +49 89 55 89 38 355
