The exhibition D POSSESSIONS lures us into an allegorical scenography. Like a modern-day exorcist, Danai Anesiadou attempts to purge and transform not only her material possessions but also the energy flows vibrating around us.
For her WIELS exhibition, Anesiadou attempts to encase the entirety of her material possessions: household objects, shoes and clothes, prized belongings—everything is solidified in exuberant assemblages made from resin and large quantities of metal shards. At its core is a desire to rid herself of all personal belongings by converting them into orgonites. These energy-transforming devices, originating from the theories of the psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957), are meant to capture a cosmic ‘orgone’ current, transmute it into positive life energy and then disperse it.
Producing these ‘healing’ orgonites is however an inherently toxic process, a ‘contradictio in terminis’ which is not lost on Anesiadou. The time of the exhibition, WIELS is transformed into a ghost busting pressure cooker, compelling the audience to a restorative reset.
Over the last fifteen years, Danai Anesiadou (GR/BE) has developed a range of metaphysical and personal concerns into a seductive and mercurial body of work referencing cinema, occult sciences, Greek antiquity and contemporary affairs. Her work is highly perceptive to both the political and the invisible fabric of reality. Armed with a keen interest in historiography and deep politics, she questions what we consider to be true, pointing to the double standards and false dichotomies of the dominant discourse.
Installation view ‘Danai Anesiadou: D POSSESSIONS’, WIELS, Brussels, 2023. Photo: We Document Art
About Helena Kritis:
Helena Kritis (BE) is a curator at WIELS Centre for Contemporary Art in Brussels. Her interest lies mainly with time-based and performative practices. She has commissioned performances and worked with Mounira Al Solh, Nora Turato, Billy Bultheel & James Richards, Nikima Jagudajev, Christian Nyampeta, Ndayé Kouagou, Ed Atkins etc. At WIELS, she curated solo exhibitions of Danai Anesiadou (2023) and Lucy Raven (2022) and she co-curated the group exhibitions Regenerate (2021) and Risquons-Tout (2020). Previously she was a member of the experimental short film selection committee for the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Between 2008 and 2019 she was in charge of the visual and audiovisual arts program at the multidisciplinary arts centre Beursschouwburg in Brussels.
Timing:
- 18:45 > Welcome
- 19:00 – 20:00 > Guided Tour
This is a member only event.
The visit is limited to 15 people, don’t forget to register at members@themerode.com
TheMerode, is a private social members club, where comfort, glamour and intimacy coexist through and for our members. They are at the heart of everything we do and we strive to make them feel home. That’s why all our events are exclusively organized for our members and their guests.