Medulla Plaza
Curated by Lena Hartmann
Kunstverein Grafschaft Bentheim
21 October – 25 December 2016

Medulla Plaza is the first institutional solo exhibition of Vanessa Safavi in Germany, at Kunstverein Grafschaft Bentheim.

Witty, sensual and playful, Safavi’s works combine clarity, lightness and poetry in their handling of materials.

By linking the Latin term “medulla”–the biological designation of the core areas of different organs– with the Italian word “plaza”–often associated with the image of wandering tourists– the exhibition title suggests an unexpectedly refreshing way of looking at the human organism.

The selected shapes and objects symbolize individual parts of the body, at the same time leaving room for further interpretation.  In addition to Safavi’s sculptures and wall works, installation-specific installations play a central role in her work. The exhibition “Medulla Plaza” also focuses on a space-grabbing, sculptural installation ( “Life as a Comedy”), which was specially developed for the exhibition in the Kunstverein and at the same time concealed the murals of Khaled Al-Saai.

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Life As A Comedy, 2016. Fabric, ginger biscuits, string, 40 x 100 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Life As A Comedy, 2016. Fabric, ginger biscuits, string, 40 x 100 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Life As A Comedy, 2016. Fabric, ginger biscuits, string, 40 x 100 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Reasons and disguises I, II & III, 2016. Glazed porcelain, leather, each finger: 27 x 14 x 10 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Reasons and disguises I, II & III, 2016. Glazed porcelain, leather, each finger: 27 x 14 x 10 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Installation view. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Lovers Sympathy, 2016. Silicon, shell, dice, dimensions variable. Fotos by André Sobott.
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One Another After Another One, 2016. Shells, dices, silicon, oranges, dimensions variable. Fotos by André Sobott.
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HOME II, 2016. Shell, foam, silicon, chopsticks, dimensions variable. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Installation view. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Installation view. Fotos by André Sobott.
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My Sirens Bewitching Snake Charmers, 2016. Silicone, sea shell, dimensions variable. Fotos by André Sobott.
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My Sirens Bewitching Snake Charmers, 2016. Silicone, sea shell, dimensions variable. Fotos by André Sobott.
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HOME I, 2016. Shell, foam, silicon, dimensions variable. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Call It An Illusion, 2016. Shells, satin gloves, foam, pompons, dimensions variable. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Untitled, 2016. Plexiglass, each hand: 24 x 20 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Untitled, 2016. Plexiglass, 24 x 20 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Untitled, 2016. Plexiglass, each hand: 24 x 20 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Lies, 2016. Glazed porcelain, 17 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.
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Lies, 2016. Glazed porcelain, 17 cm. Fotos by André Sobott.