Votive: Sacred and Ecstatic Bodies

12 October 2001 - 3 February 2002

Cathy de Monchaux, Red 1999

Ian Breakwell
Pierre & Gilles
Megan Jenkinson
Cathy de Monchaux
Christopher Braddock

Throughout history, text and image have remained central to the operation and communication of religion, and Christianity is no exception. Votive: sacred and ecstatic bodies brought together five contemporary artists who focused on aspects of religion that are interpretative and speculative, through media spanning photography, sculpture, video and installation.

Curated by Christopher Braddock with Mark Jackson, Votive included works by the collaborative French artists Pierre & Gilles, UK artists Ian Breakwell and Cathy de Monchaux and New Zealand practitioners Megan Jenkinson and Christopher Braddock.

Emblematic and ornamental representations of religious subject matter were placed alongside depictions of the body as fetish object. Through their distinct practices, the exhibiting artists challenged assumptions about sexuality and morality and interrogate boundaries of the politics of the body within a broadly religious context.

Votive was supported by Creative New Zealand, The British Council, Auckland University of Technology and the Adam Art Gallery. During this exhibition Intersculpt 2001 was staged at the Adam Art Gallery.

 

Votive was accompanied by a catalogue which extrapolated on the artists’ works and the concerns raised by the exhibition. Essays by Ian Breakwell, Mark Jackson and Kyla McFarlane. Available for purchase here