Back in September, Chloe Wise worked alongside gallerist Almine Rech in publishing a well-crafted monograph on her short, yet prolific career. The Canadian-born, New York-based artist returns with a new solo exhibition at Geneva’s Galerie Sébastien Bertrand, titled “Spite Unseen.”
As her third show with Bertrand, Wise opens the exhibition by quoting legendary German philosopher, Walter Benjamin:
“The third decade of the 21st century has begun. Civilization is faltering, life seeping from a hundred undressed wounds. Hope and promise rock and totter, smothered in trembling clouds of avarice. Nature promises healing, but decay is everywhere. Man has made the world, and it has been cursed by god.”
Wise imbues this sense of hope and despair through a series of dreamlike portraiture and still life paintings, both of friends and herself, that questions consumer culture in relation to the brooding undertones regarding sexuality, desire and politics. Evident in her past exhibitions, there lies a modesty and relatability within the lexicon Wise chooses to depict — particularly poignant with Millenials, such as herself.
In a past interview with Vogue, Wise noted that she participates in trends, adding “You can’t avoid certain things because it’s not even a choice that you make. It’s just a part of how you live your life. You’re permeable to what’s around you.”
Although humor certainly plays an integral role in her practice — from her food-based sculptures to her carefree demeanor on Instagram — Wise’s expertise in art history is evident within each subtle choice of color, scene and icon used within her compositions. Witness “Spite Unseen” as it’s on view at Galerie Sébastien Bertrand until May 7, 2022.
Also on view, Yue Minjun returns from a 10-Year hiatus with a new floral-inspired exhibition.
Galerie Sébastien Bertrand
rue du Simplon 16
1207 Geneva, Switzerland
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wazup.