'Private Viewing' by Sofia Duchovny at Kunstverein Göttingen

Installation view

The Kunstverein Göttingen‘s 2019 program opens with a solo show by artist Sofia Duchovny. The title of the exhibition „Private Viewing“ – supported by the theatrically framed view into the artist‘s studio – suggests exclusivity, but is parodied by the public nature of an exhibition as such. Duchovny‘s works are shaped by the ambivalence of private and public, between that which is shown and that which should be shown, between intimacy and authenticity. The artist moves between these two poles with humor and a disarming sense of emotionality.

The exhibition combines sculptures and paintings to a kind of filmic parcours. For this, Duchovny continues her analysis of the artwork as a flexible and non-passive object, which she has been working on over the past few years. As a part of this work, she has produced a series of foldable sculptures. The resulting space-within-a-space constructions are light and translucent, but still manage to dominate the space through size and presence. Their materiality enhances the dichotomy between romantic fragility and autonomous strength. They resemble larger-than-life insects, whilst at the same time conjuring up associations with the female figure.

The predominantly pastel-colored paintings are similar to the sculptures in that round shapes also define them. Duchovny plays with naivety and thereby entangles the viewer into her image world. Her heart-shaped boxes become image carriers and use perspective to summon up spatial irritations. They are of dogs and insect legs, unmade beds and feet protruding from under covers, but also bullet holes and fences. With the help of miniatures and icons, Duchovny develops a vocabulary for a personal, as well as universal language.