Lisa Holzer at HESTER

Artist: Lisa Holzer

Exhibition title: Be a funny mom

Venue: HESTER, New York, US

Date: February 21 – March 20, 2016

Photography: images copyright and courtesy of the artist and HESTER, New York

2015 was heavy. Although I fell in love. A year never tired me like this one. December was hard. And it was too warm, at least in Berlin. All the year’s news seemed to have accumulated and lumped into a dead and desperate, and quite wearing, weight on my little shoulders. A weight that could not be danced away, I tried. (You watched me dance.) Or maybe I just get old. The pictures in this show began then.

To be a funny mom was what I wanted above all to be when I became a mom a few years ago. And Be a funny mom seemed to be an ideally inept title for this show, my first one in New York. Hey there!

I provide goodies. And we’ll have fun. Sweaty (or is that saliva?) pictures of honey pig’s ears and pig’s ears on yellow, and more or less wan pastel coloured, monochrome backdrops. Dog treats. Accompanied by two pictures of succulent and slightly drooping white winter asparagus sweating as well, which, weirdly enough, evoke the same atmosphere as Gerhard Richter’s Candle, widely known as Sonic Youth’s 1988 Daydream Nation album cover. Only a little bit more sexy, maybe. And this although the asparagus seemed as worn out and pale as me when I bought them late November at KaDeWe. We..

Roberta Smith thinks William Wegman’s funny. I’ll fry shrimp chips during the opening. So please come. And come again. Eat me.

–Lisa Holzer

Lisa Holzer (b. 1971, Vienna) lives and works in Berlin and Vienna. Selected solo & two-person exhibitions include: Emanuel Layr, Vienna (forthcoming); Hester, New York (2016); Lira Gallery, Rome (2016); Meessen De Clercq, Brussels (2015); The Composing Rooms, Berlin (2015); Rowing, London (2015); Frieze, Focus Section, presented by Galerie Emanuel Layr, London (2014); Galerie Emanuel Layr, Vienna (2014); Art Basel, Nova Section, presented by Galerie Emanuel Layr, Miami Beach (2013); Liste, presented by Galerie Emanuel Layr, Basel (2013); dingum, Berlin (2012); Centre National de l’Edition et de l’Art Imprimé, Paris (2011); Salzburger Kunstverein, Salzburg (2006). Recent group exhibitions include: Centre for Style, Melbourne (2015); 21er Haus, Vienna (2015); Good Press Gallery, Glasgow (2015); Rowing, London (2015); New Museum, New York (2015); Künstlerhaus Graz, Graz (2015); Shanaynay, Paris (2014); Rowing, London (2014); dingum, Paris (2014); Galerie Kamm, Berlin (2014); Space, London (2014); M/L Artspace, New York (2013); Kunstpavillon Innsbruck, Innsbruck (2013); Air de Paris, Paris (2013); Galerie Emanuel Layr, Vienna (2013); CEAAC, Strasbourg (2013); 21er Haus, Vienna (2013); Croy Nielsen, Berlin (2011); Supportico Lopez, Berlin (2010); COCO, Vienna (2010); Pro Choice, Vienna (2010); Nice and Fit, Berlin (2010).