art, sex and politics: HR giger x hans bellmer at berlin's schinkel pavillon

HR GIGER & HANS BELLMER AT THE SCHINKEL PAVILION

following the success of the HR giger x mire lee exhibition (read more on designboom here), berlin’s schinkel pavilion presents a second volume dedicated to the late swiss visionary. this time, HR giger’s work dialogues with that of one of his lifelong inspirations — the german surrealist hans bellmer.

curated by laura lópez paniagua, professor at the bard college berlin, (the artworks of HR giger have been selected by curator agnes gryczkowska for the exhibition hr giger & mire lee from 18 sept 2021 to 16 jan 2022), the show brings giger’s (1940-2014) iconic sculptures, early paintings, and drawings, together with a collection of graphic works and photographs by bellmer (1902-1975). highlighting the historical bond between these two great figures, the exhibition links art lovers with horror fans, while bringing a wave of dark eroticism to the rooms and chambers of one of berlin’s most important art institutions.

ART, SEX & POLITICS – THE MEETING POINT BETWEEN HR GIGER & HANS BELLMER

based on research, the HR giger x hans bellmer exhibition at the schinkel pavilion explores the meeting point between the two artists — the rebellion against the aesthetical and political conventions of their times. inspired by psychoanalysis, both of them envisioned impactful creatures capable of moving our darkest fears and desires. the exhibition therefore juxtaposes bellmer’s life-size pubescent dolls with giger’s most famous creation: xenomorph, the monster in ridley scott’s alien film.

the exhibition features photographs of bellmer’s erotic doll, die puppe, created at the time when germany was seized by nazis. contradicting what nazi’s wanted — neoclassicism and immaculate bodies — bellmer’s work featured his own monsters, made from household items which would later include ball points to increase mobility. of course his work was declared degenerate by the nazis, which lead him to relocate to paris in 1938.

bellmer’s drawings are joined by giger’s alien sketches where sex, violence, male, female, animal, and human blend into a state of constant flux. both artists seem to provoke, or indulge, viewers by exposing them to anatomies in a state of arousal and scenes of explicit sexual acts. but it’s important to note that the artworks distance themselves from pornography as they present graphic details that entail a full sensory experience. on one hand, bellmer makes us complicit of his deep exploration into the nature of desire, while giger presents explicit sexual acts that are more technological than erotic.

overall, the exhibition guides visitors through the works of two artists that understood the body as an erotic landscape and at the same time, as a scene of brutal fights.