Louise Giovanelli: As If, Almost

8 Jul-11 Sep 2022

Overview

Louise Giovanelli will present a body of new work at White Cube Bermondsey, in which she explores contemporary modes of devotion and worship, reworking and closely cropping details taken from sources including paintings, film stills and images of popular performers. Giovanelli works in series, returning repeatedly to the same imagery to evoke an uncanny, augmented reality, urging the audience to look again.

A triptych portraying sumptuous curtains sees the artist return to a familiar motif at an unprecedented scale. Acting almost as the backdrop to the exhibition, the curtains create a sense of drama and expectation. As Giovanelli states: ‘These curtains, once thrown back, offer this promise to enter another realm – and once closed, contain that promise. The painting hangs in a suspended state, leaving us wondering whether the show is over, or in fact just beginning.’

Artists