This piece, which originated in 1998, is Johan Creten’s very first bronze sculpture. It portrays an anonymous, suffering being inspired by people Creten met during his encounters and travels, particularly in Italy.
There, he met many individuals who made the journey across the Mediterranean in exile where they were simultaneously confronted with death and the hopes of a life to come.
The setting for this sculpture is the courtyard of a mansion potentially made with money earned through the Atlantic slave trade.
By dialoguing with this location’s intimacy and history, Creten’s Untitled reveals itself to be an anti-monument with multiple meanings, from tragedy to hope for our past and present.
Johan Creten was born in 1963 and lives and now works in Montreuil, France. He is represented by Galerie Perrotin (Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo), Galerie Almine Rech (Paris, Brussels, London, New York) and Galerie Transit (Mechelen).