Introduction

A new show of four works by Pierre Huyghe at Esther Schipper gallery in Berlin continues the artist’s inquiry into the way we relate inside and outside of the exhibition context.

Arriving in the gallery space, a male door attendant announces loudly the visitor’s name and surname (Name Announcer). The rooms look empty at first sight, but in reality live insects and contagions abound. A gallery attendant has the flu (Influenced).

On the walls and floor, some 10,000 ants circulate freely (Umwelt), creating lines that circulate from nest to nest in small holes in the walls. Fifty live spiders move towards the corners of the ceiling (C. C. Spider).

The Bahian Lagoa do Abaeté adds to the installation’s mystical dimension. With this new show the French artist continues his reflection on the roles we assume as viewers and participants.