Peruvian artist Wynnie Mynerva’s latest exhibition at the Gathering gallery explores themes of gender, intimacy, and transformation through provocative artworks and installations.
London, United Kingdom – The vibrant city is currently hosting a groundbreaking art exhibition by Peruvian artist Wynnie Mynerva, a creative force renowned for their provocative exploration of themes such as gender, intimacy, and transformation. The exhibition, entitled “My Weaponised Body,” is being held at the renowned Gathering gallery and will be open to the public until November 9, 2024.
Wynnie Mynerva’s artistic practice is deeply intertwined with personal experiences, particularly those concerning their own body. Using their flesh as a canvas, Mynerva challenges societal norms and conventions through a complex interrogation of identity-related themes. The current exhibition transforms Gathering’s gallery spaces into corporeal zones filled with Mynerva’s monumental unframed paintings on fabric. These artworks, suspended from the walls of the ground and basement floors, stretch outward with cascading fabrics resembling fleshy folds. The paintings are characterised by vast areas of bare fabric that resemble peeling skin, hinting at the body in states of pain and sickness.
The exhibition’s imagery, rich with metaphorical depth, encapsulates Mynerva’s pursuit of “a personal writing of HIV in my body.” This deeply personal narrative seeks to map the intricate dimensions of the artist’s mental and physical being. The paintings feature writhing figures, including mystical skeletal forms, emerging from the depths of intricate brushwork. The use of dark crimson paint suggests clotted blood, contrasted sharply by yellow tones that imply acts of bodily discharge. This visual language conveys themes of tension, suffering, relief, and desire, all of which offer resistance to collective trauma while defying conventional norms.
Central to the exhibition is a formidable skeletal sculpture that pierces through the floor, bridging the galleries. This imagined structure, designed as a skeleton for the painted skins, exudes a prehistoric and futuristic presence. It carries profound symbolism, representing Mynerva’s personal journey involving alterations of their own body. Notably, for previous exhibitions, the artist underwent procedures such as sewing their vagina shut for the “Closing to Open” exhibition in Madrid and removing a rib for “The Original Riot” showcased at the New Museum in New York.
“My Weaponised Body” is not simply an art exhibit but a theatrical experience. Mynerva’s work operates within a political framework, liberating the body from conventional biopolitical constraints and providing a platform for new expressions of identity. The artist draws an analogy between their practice and film production, emphasizing the importance of precise setting and lighting to create a cohesive narrative. However, unlike film, Mynerva’s work embodies a raw, live-theatre quality, offering an engaging and immediate experience.
The exhibition draws inspiration from Paul Preciado’s book, “Can the Monster Speak?” which advocates for empowering historically marginalized voices. In a similar vein, Mynerva places their body and personal experiences at the forefront, redefining the political landscape of artistic expression. Through “My Weaponised Body,” Wynnie Mynerva offers an immersive and evocative performance that challenges viewers to witness the powerful confluence of art, identity, and personal transformation.
Source: Noah Wire Services