August 2023
Roni Horn, Subject of Solo Exhibition I AM PARALYZED WITH HOPE at Centro Botín, Spain
Roni Horn, a renowned American contemporary artist, is the subject of the solo exhibition I AM PARALYZED WITH HOPE at Centro Botín, Spain. Set in a space that overlooks the beautiful scenery of Santander, the exhibition showcases a selection of the artist’s major works that reflect her ongoing exploration of human perception and experience amidst the changing natural environment.
Working across a variety of media, including photography, installation, sculpture, and drawing, Horn has been focusing on the interplay between space, light, water, and her works. The pieces presented in the exhibition are also closely related to these themes. Untitled (The tiniest piece of mirror is always the whole mirror) (2022), a cast glass sculpture that resembles a tranquil aquarium filled with water, reflects its surroundings and, in doing so, illustrates the intriguing materiality of glass that appears to exist in a state of neither solid nor liquid. The photolithographic work Still Water (The River Thames, for Example) (1999) offers glimpses of London’s River Thames along with the artist’s annotations of anecdotes, personal thoughts, police reports, and suicide witness statements, evoking the link that exists across bodies of water and the continuity of life and death. In addition, the sound installation Saying Water (2001), a 40-minute monologue based on Horn’s own musings and associations with water, resonates throughout the exhibition space that features panoramic views of the bay of Santander, providing an immersive experience for the viewers.
The exhibition also marks the institutional debut of LOG (March 22, 2019-May 17, 2020) (2019-2020), consisting of 406 sheets of drawings. Serving as a record of everyday observations and events that have influenced the artist’s sensibility, the series comprises drawings, quotations, collages, photographs, daily records, and notes on news and weather. Some of the pieces within the series include the phrase “I am paralyzed with hope,” which is the title of the exhibition. Borrowing the phrase from a comedian she found on YouTube, the artist explores the hidden meaning of the word “hope,” which is at times paradoxically used as a euphemism for hopelessness.
Horn’s exhibition, which closely questions the continuity and duality of water and light, object and nature, life and death, remains on view through September 1, 2023.
Working across a variety of media, including photography, installation, sculpture, and drawing, Horn has been focusing on the interplay between space, light, water, and her works. The pieces presented in the exhibition are also closely related to these themes. Untitled (The tiniest piece of mirror is always the whole mirror) (2022), a cast glass sculpture that resembles a tranquil aquarium filled with water, reflects its surroundings and, in doing so, illustrates the intriguing materiality of glass that appears to exist in a state of neither solid nor liquid. The photolithographic work Still Water (The River Thames, for Example) (1999) offers glimpses of London’s River Thames along with the artist’s annotations of anecdotes, personal thoughts, police reports, and suicide witness statements, evoking the link that exists across bodies of water and the continuity of life and death. In addition, the sound installation Saying Water (2001), a 40-minute monologue based on Horn’s own musings and associations with water, resonates throughout the exhibition space that features panoramic views of the bay of Santander, providing an immersive experience for the viewers.
The exhibition also marks the institutional debut of LOG (March 22, 2019-May 17, 2020) (2019-2020), consisting of 406 sheets of drawings. Serving as a record of everyday observations and events that have influenced the artist’s sensibility, the series comprises drawings, quotations, collages, photographs, daily records, and notes on news and weather. Some of the pieces within the series include the phrase “I am paralyzed with hope,” which is the title of the exhibition. Borrowing the phrase from a comedian she found on YouTube, the artist explores the hidden meaning of the word “hope,” which is at times paradoxically used as a euphemism for hopelessness.
Horn’s exhibition, which closely questions the continuity and duality of water and light, object and nature, life and death, remains on view through September 1, 2023.
