prune nourry recreates the experience of a contemporary archaeological site in brussels

in brussels, french artist prune nourry has turned galerie daniel templon into a contemporary archaeological site. using earth and a variety of artistic materials, the gallery recreates the experience of unearthing historic sculptural remains. visitors are taken on an immersive journey as they encounter bronze and terracotta sculptures, photographs, and some of the creative stages that make up nourry’s unique artistic process, including a film and installation that go behind the scenes at her studio.

image courtesy galerie daniel templon paris and brussels © isabelle arthuis

at galerie daniel templon, ‘contemporary archeology’ draws from nourry’s major work ‘terracotta daughters’. the project features an army of 108 female figures, inspired by the xi’an terracotta warriors, and serves as an homage to young girls never born as a result of gender selection. the sculptures traveled the world during 2014 — from shanghai to mexico city via paris, zurich and new york — before nourry buried them at a secret site in mainland china in 2015. they will remain buried there until 2030 — the year when china’s one-child policy will peak, and cause the greatest gender imbalance ever seen.

image courtesy galerie daniel templon paris and brussels © isabelle arthuis

image courtesy galerie daniel templon paris and brussels © isabelle arthuis

image courtesy galerie daniel templon paris and brussels © isabelle arthuis

image courtesy galerie daniel templon paris and brussels © isabelle arthuis

image courtesy galerie daniel templon paris and brussels © isabelle arthuis

contemporary archeology (night), 2016
photo mounted on a LED lightbox | 783/4 x 52 x 31/8 in.
image courtesy galerie daniel templon, paris and brussels © prune nourry studio

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