fleshy intestine tents by andrea hasler recognize nuclear consequences

fleshy intestine tents by andrea hasler recognize nuclear consequences
(above) ‘matriarch’
polystyrene, wax, leather, blood
172 x 172 x 140cm
all images courtesy of andrea hasler

andrea hasler: embrace the base
corn exchange newbury & new greenham arts, berkshire
now through april 11th, 2014

bearing in mind the political, social and cultural context of greenham common, swiss artist andrea hasler presents a location-specific body of work for the exhibition within the army barack situated on site. the former american nuclear airbase hosted the longest women’s protest in history in the early 1980s, where a staged demonstration of 30,000 women joined hands around the perimeter of the base, in objection of nuclear weapons being held there. ’embrace the base’, the exhibition of which takes its namesake from the historic event, builds upon this context through the sculptures’ medium and methodology. ‘metaphorically, I am taking the notion of the tents which were on site during the women’s peace camp, as the container for emotions and ‘humanize’ these elements to create emotional surfaces.’ hasler explains. 

hasler has used an intestine modelling technique in the creation of two tents and three new humanoid figures. exploded or exposed wax lines the outside of the pair od tents, creatively exploring the consequences of a nuclear explosion, while retaining the notion of container, nurturing the concerns of the peace camps. 

‘matriarch’ (detail)

‘matriarch’ (detail)

‘matriarch’ (detail)

‘next of kin’
polystyrene, wax, zipper, blood
105cm x 105cm x 55cm

installation view of ‘matriarch’ and ‘next of kin’

installation view of flesh figures