The Lives of Animals

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“It is true that animals are usually not able to participate in their liberation, but they behave differently when they are liberated and have better living conditions.”
— Speaking Beyond Language: Lin May Saeed Interviewed

Elen Braga

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08 June - 22 September 2024
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Elen Braga is a Brazilian-born visual artist who lives in Antwerp. In her sculptures, installations, performances and textiles, she explores themes related to mythology, history and her own biography. Her pieces often require extensive labour. Animals, alongside humans, are often important characters in her art. Additionally, narrative elements are of­ten incorporated into her pieces, contributing to the complexity of the original visual language. 

The textile installation presented at the exhibition was created as scenery in two sections for the dance performance of Le Sacre du Printemps (2023), directed by Michiel Vandevelde and produced by Theater Neumarkt in Zurich. The first section The Adoration of the Earth (2023), is a subjective, narrative version of human history from the beginning of the world to the 19th century, told from the artist’s perspective. It shows the elaborate relationship between nature and humankind, and between the natural and industrialised landscape. The Sacrifice (2023), which is the second section, depicts an apocalyptic vision of the future in which the Earth is undergoing a climate catastrophe. This part lacks both human and non-human protagonists. 

The Adoration of the Earth, 2023
© image: M HKA

Exhibited works: 

The Adoration of the Earth, 2023
The Sacrifice, 2023
Courtesy Elen Braga

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