About the work

Indian ink on paper, diptych, 21 × 29.7 cm each
Courtesy the artist and Pilar Corrias Gallery, London

This diptych by Ulla von Brandenburg, based on an old photograph of sculpture, takes the mythological figure of the chimera. Symbol of illusion in the common language, it originally designates a hybrid creature, both fascinating and frightening, that has nourished fantasies and imaginations, and given rise to rich interpretations ranging from the sacred field to that of the unconscious. From Antiquity to the Middle Ages, the chimera is often considered as the incarnation of hidden powers or evil forces, which later explains its presence outside religious buildings. Here, the figure of the chimera, doubled as by a mirror effect, preserves its magic force while taking more human contours.

Date and country of birth

1974, DE>

About the artist

Ulla von Brandenburg (b.1974, Karlsruhe) lives and works in Paris. Graduated from Academy of Fine Arts, Hamburg (2004); and Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe (1998). Awards include the Finkenwerder Art Prize and the Drawing Prize (2013). Select solo exhibitions include C, Ü, I, T, H, E, A, K, O, G, N, B, D, F, R, M, P, L , Produzentengalerie, Hamburg (2018); SWEETS, QUILTS, SUN, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Bonn (2018); Two Times Seven, K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldörf (2017); Sink Down Mountain, Raise up Valley, The Common Guild, Glasgow (2016); Yesterday and Today is Tomorrow is also like this, Kasseler Kunsteverein, Kassel (2015); and Ulla von Brandenburg: Die Straße, Art: Concept, Paris (2013). Select group exhibitions include Hinge Pictures, Memory Images, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans (2019); The Szechwan Tale: China, Theater and History, FM Centre for Contemporary Art, Milan (2018); La terre la plus contraire, Fondation Fernet-Branca, Saint-Louis (2017); Clouds Dissolve in Water, Steirischer Herbst, Graz (2015); On Stage, Karst, Plymouth (2014); and Film as Sculpture, WIELS Contemporary Art Centre, Brussels (2013).