A subtle, pink filter on the gallery’s windows sets the tone of the exhibition on several levels: literally, as it floods the room in flesh-coloured light, and metaphorically, hinting at a general preoccupation with the body and all its connotations – including those of flesh, tissue, body, membranes, motor functions and desire.

The materiality of the works ranges from the smooth synthetic surface of the large, pink sculpture Start to Beg to the papier-mâché coated with automotive paint and inelegantly clinging to the legs of the sculptures Sex Position for Broken Ribs and Rib. A video work, Keep Begging, is displayed on a free-standing LED screen, its thousands of light-emitting diodes forming an image that is simultaneously pixelated and ultra-sharp. All the works establish an awkward duplicity, juxtaposing the ultra-refined with the abruptly clumsy.

In its form, Start to Beg is somewhat reminiscent of a huge cut of meat, or perhaps a sarcophagus, while Sex Position for Broken Ribs and the group of sculptures known as Rib resemble walking frames and other aids. In the video Keep Begging, the camera explores an arm from elbow to armpit. The imagery consists of extreme close-ups of skin, hair and pores, intermingled with insistent images of a hairy armpit, exploring its hidden, yet curiously unsexy dampness. In some sequences the camera is operated by a robotic arm, resulting in hyper-accelerated, weirdly non-human movements. These are mixed in with unbearably prolonged and static shots.

The soundtrack is pieced together in a similar fashion, comprising repeated snippets of melodies and electronic sounds combined with a few cryptic spoken lines: “Holidays are over”, “Do we go to war?” and “My dear”.

The exhibition title, Start Begging, frames these many double positions and oppositions as well as the power plays they involve: between object and image, between camera and body, between different materialities – and possibly even between work and viewer.

The works are produced in collaboration with the Swiss Institute, New York

The x-room is supported by

The exhibition is supported by