Artists: Elin Gonzalez, Sami Schlichting
Exhibition title: Dungeons and Dasein
Venue: Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, Germany
Date: February 29 – August 25, 2020
Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf
Dungeons: A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. The word dungeon comes from French donjon (also spelled dongeon), which means “keep”, the main tower of a castle. Though it is uncertain , both dungeon and donjon are thought to derive from the Middle Latin word dominio, meaning “lord” or „master“.
Dasein: is a German word that means “being there” or “presence” (German: da “there”; sein “being”), and is often translated into English with the word “existence”. It is a fundamental concept in the existential philosophy of Martin Heidegger, particularly in his magnum opus Being and Time. Heidegger uses the expression Dasein to refer to the experience of being that is peculiar to human beings. Thus it is a form of being that is aware of and must confront such issues as personhood, mortality and the dilemma or paradox of living in relationship with other humans while being ultimately alone with oneself.
Elin Gonzalez *1987 in Villa Angela, Argentina. She lives and works in Geneva, Switzerland. Her recent exhibitions include WALLA WALLA TIME, Ballostar Mobile, Bern (2019), Where Do Streams Run To?, Damien & The Love Guru x Lucas Hirsch, CFAlive, Milan (2019), Silver Lake, Kirchgasse, Steckborn (2019), Alienze, Lausanne (2019), Jugend ist Trunkenheit ohne Wein, curated by Julian-Jakob Kneer, BIKINI, Basel (2019), Purify/Rot, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf (2018).
Sami Schlichting *1987 in Cuxhaven, Germany. He lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. His recent exhibitions include Spoilage #2, curated by Wschod Gallery, Warsaw, SALTS, Basel (2019), Hereafter, Mélange, Cologne (with Cezary Poniatowski) (2019), RAW, Dumont Kunsthalle, Cologne (2019), Where Do Streams Run To?, Damien & The Love Guru x Lucas Hirsch, CFAlive, Milan (2019), Prati bagnati del monte Analogo, Neuer Essener Kunstverein, Essen (2018), Jokes to run a family, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf (2018).
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Elin Gonzalez, Enter the Swarm (Elin), 2020, Graphite on paper, 42 x 29,7 cm
Elin Gonzalez, Hiding Dome (1), 2019, Ink on yellow paper, 29,7 x 21 cm
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Sami Schlichting, Easy Answers, 2020, Wood, acrylic paint, cardboard, clay, straw, wire, 202 x 100 x 58 cm
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Elin Gonzalez, Dungeons and Dasein, 2020, Aluminum, dimensions variable
Sami Schlichting, Experiments in the Revival of Organisms (1), 2020, Wood, acrylic paint, clay, straw, wire, 212 x 82 x 70 cm
Sami Schlichting, Experiments in the Revival of Organisms (1), 2020, Wood, acrylic paint, clay, straw, wire, 212 x 82 x 70 cm
Elin Gonzalez, Enter the Swarm (Sami), 2020, Graphite on paper, 42 x 29,7 cm
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Elin Gonzalez, Hiding Dome (2), 2019, Ink on yellow paper, 29,7 x 21 cm
Sami Schlichting, Silk, 2020, Clay, straw, wire, 16 x 22 x 28 cm; Sami Schlichting, Phosphor, 2019, Clay, straw, wire, 12 x 24 x 22 cm
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Sami Schlichting, Experiments in the Revival of Organisms (2), 2020, Wood, acrylic paint, clay, straw, wire, 201 x 83 x 117 cm
Sami Schlichting, Experiments in the Revival of Organisms (2), 2020, Wood, acrylic paint, clay, straw, wire, 201 x 83 x 117 cm
Installation view, Dungeons and Dasein, Elin Gonzalez + Sami Schlichting, Lucas Hirsch, Düsseldorf, 2020
Elin Gonzalez, I don’t take advice from peasants, 2020, Graphite on yellow paper, 29,7 x 21 cm