Overview
For her first Belgian solo exhibition, Kelley is presenting The Syphilis of Sisyphus (2011), as well as her video trilogy about the myth of the minotaur (Priapus Agonistes (2013), Swinburne’s Pasiphae (2014) and The Thong of Dionysus(2015)). During an extended period in Rome, Kelley became intrigued by the story of the Minotaur. Half man, half bull, this legend symbolizes a fierce and tragic brutality. Kelley has made the minotaur a female monster. Peppered with pop culture and references to contemporary music stars, she gives this ancient legend a new face in her video trilogy. In addition, she is presenting a mural, photos, works on paper, and several props from her films.
This exhibition at M coincides with a complementary show at Kunsthalle Bremen presenting her four earliest videos on the First World War. Mary Reid Kelley’s first solo exhibitions in Europe thus for the first time give a complete survey of her video work.
View of Mary Reid Kelley’s exhibition at M – Museum Leuven | Photograph: Dirk Pauwels
