The Lovers

Materials: Polyurethane, fibreglass, steel, polyester,paint, swing, height: 300 cm.

For The Lovers (2021), Deller was inspired by Lucas Cranach’s painting Adam and Eve (1526) from the collection of the Courtauld Gallery in London. A biblical scene where Eve, despite God’s warning, has just tasted the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and passes the apple on to Adam. This artwork is based on the story of creation and refers to universal human desires as well as to the concepts of good and evil. Deller is intrigued by the tension between the two characters who balance between love, lust and surrender. The large figures with fig leaves form the frame of a swing. The artist uses humour and art history as the basis for this monumental three-metre-high sculpture. Everyone is invited to fly carefree in the air with the threatening presence of the tempting forbidden fruit above their head. This playful sculpture is a new creation made for Paradise Kortrijk, and will find a romantic place in the beautiful, protective nineteenth-century Messeyne Gardens. With witty playfulness and intelligent provocation, Deller hints at the seriousness of classical monuments. The toy offers a cheerful and functional alternative.

40 kunstenaars uit 18 landen brengen 60 kunstwerken op 16 binnen- en buitenlocaties naar Kortrijk. 

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