by BARBARA SIRIEIX

November 7, 2014

DaigaGrantinasLegalBeast
Language
GALERIE JOSEPH TANG,Paris
October 23December 20, 2014

Share
Share
Share
Share

TherearenotmanygalleriesabovethegroundinParis.EverytimeIwalkupthe
narrowstairstothesecondfloorof1rueCharlesFranoisDupuis,Ibracemyself,
asifImabouttoenterastateofalteredairdensityorgravity.Previousevents
therehaveoftendwelledonconstrainingthepoliticalbody,suchasthetwoyear
programofTheInstituteofSocialHypocrisyinitiatedbyartistVictorBoullet
anddevelopedbetween20092011,wherecuratorDamienAiraultwaslockedup
insideforaweekandwasexclusivelyfedonwhalemeat.Theapartmentwaslater
takenoverbygalleristJosephTang,whocontinuedwiththeradicalityofthese
earlierartisticprojects.LastwinterBoullet,nowalsorepresentedbythegallery,
removedthewindowsofthespaceandarrangedawallwhereonlyatinyAlicein
WonderlandsizeddoorallowedJosephaccesstohisoffice.Thesepast
experiencesofthespaceleadmetobeonthelookout,andtruetoform,the
currentexhibitioninducesanuneaseintheviewer,solicitingthebodyssenseof
placetowardsagreaterconsciousnessoftheenthralling,bloodcurdlingchaosof
space.

1 View of Daiga Grantinas Legal Beast Language, Galerie

Joseph Tang, Paris, 2014.

2 Daiga Grantina, R, 2014.

ThefirstParissoloshowIsawofBerlinbasedLatvianartistDaigaGrantina
comesasagenuinesurprise.Theartistspreviousprojectshadgeneratedmostly
videoandphotographicworks;sheseemsinterestedinanextendedmaterialityof
filmtowardsthemineral,asifdrawnbythevortexofcontemporaryarchaeology,
workingonlayeringimagesandmaterialstowardsanorganicflatness.With
LegalBeastLanguagetheartisttakesasteepturntowardssculpture,revealing
herinterestinthedenselytheorizedconceptoftheformless,fromGeorges
BatailletoRosalindKrauss.Allowingforthethreedimensional,theexhibition
unleashesapackofsemioticdogs.
Thedisplaystandsasanorganicannexationofthespace,whereitspoliticsmate
withthematerialsvialanguage.ThetitleLegalBeastLanguage,aquotefrom
theglossaryinBenMarcussbookTheAgeofStringandWire(1995),situates
theexhibitionasasystemofanimalsemiotics,whereonecanthinkabouthow
wordscomeintocontactwithmattertoshapeforms,inageneralinterrogationof
thedefinitionoffiguration.Thisgestureworksasacycleofreferentiality;as
MarcusquotestheAmericanpoetRalphWaldoEmersoninhisforeword,Every
wordwasonceananimal.

3 View of Daiga Grantinas Legal Beast Language, Galerie

Joseph Tang, Paris, 2014.

AcrossthethresholdstandstheriddleR(allworks2014),anunpronounceable
nameforaninstallationharnessingarangeofpotentialrealitiesbetweentwo
letters:itlookslikeamassivecrumpleoftornupbouquetwrapping;oranold
ladysittinginapinklampshade;oranastronautsleepinginacrashedspaceship;
oracyborggrotto;orEachpropositionremainsinterchangeable.Thematerials
usedareasvariableandunpredictableastheweather:mostlytransparentor
reflectingplastics,heated,folded,creased,orwreckedaroundaprojector.A
movingbeamoflightreflectsonthelavishfoldsofthewrapping,soeverybreath
oftheprojectedimagereshapesthework.Thecreasescasttremblingshadowson
thewallliketwitchingmembranes,reminiscentofthemicroscopicfilmingof
cells.
Rstandsasasortofpermanentreferentfortheotherpiecesintheexhibition,
asthenativeworkwhiletheothersarebornelsewhere,intheartistsstudio.It
standsasthecommanderofanalienarmyinturmoil,aprimenumberofan
absurdequationoverchaos.Togethertheyunfoldintheroomasaspillofmucus,
pluggingintothewallsofthegalleryinavarietyofways.
Acrossthecommunicationslandscapemovethespectresofsinistertechnologies
andthedreamsthatmoneycanbuy,wroteJGBallardinthe1995introduction
tohisnovelCrash,asuitablereferenttothetitleofGrantinasfloorpiece
Crashino,totherearofR.OnaredPlexiglasplatestandsalumpofburned
brakelightsandslotmachinerolls,fleckedwitharossocorsalichen,givingform
tothecontractionofthewordscrashandcasino.Next,standsQuittingthe
House,aneeriestalactiteheldupbyatripodandattachedbystringsatthe
ceiling,afailingsupportingarchofknottedplasticandmetalinnardsforthe
space.Opposite,verticallystickingupintheairisFRUSC,aphallicclubmade
outofamannequinarmwrappedupwithsmallyellowlights,transparentplastic,
artificialasparaguses,andwires.SteppingbacktowardsR,MouthHarness
hangsuncertainlyfromtheceiling,asameltedcornucopiapouringphony
translucentredgrapesandplasticnecklaces;theresultofanattackofheatwhich
hasformedsomelacepatternuponthesyntheticmaterial,hangingasa
chimericalgarment.

4 Daiga Grantina, R (detail), 2014.

5 Daiga Grantina, Crashino, 2014.

Eachsculpturalgestureresonatesasanevocationofthebodyanditslimbs,and
theirrelationtothespacethroughthewaytheyinvestitsarchitecture.Grantina
developsaconflicteddynamicsystemthatsimultaneouslygeneratesanddevours
objects,ablackholeturnedintoawildbeast,furtherexpandingherinterestin
physics,andherinterrogationofthematteroflight,whichispresentthroughout
theentireshow.Despitethepandemoniumofforms,itfeelsthatsheisultimately
reducingherenquirytoaverysimplequestion:whatisagallerytruly,ifnota
spacewrappinguplight?

Barbara Sirieix is a writer and a curator based in Paris.

6 Daiga Grantina, Quitting the House, 2014.

7 Daiga Grantina, Quitting the House (detail), 2014.

8 Daiga Grantina, FRUSC, 2014.

9 Daiga Grantina, Mouth Harness, 2014.

10 Daiga Grantina, R (detail), 2014.

1 View of Daiga Grantinas Legal Beast Language, Galerie

Joseph Tang, Paris, 2014. All images courtesy of Joseph
Tang, Paris. All photos by Aurlien Mole.
2 Daiga Grantina, R, 2014. Mixed media, dimensions variable.
3 View of Daiga Grantinas (Legal Beast Language), Galerie
Joseph Tang, Paris, 2014.
4 Daiga Grantina, R (detail), 2014. Mixed media, dimensions
variable.
5 Daiga Grantina, Crashino, 2014. Mixed media, 40 x 40 x
40cm.
6 Daiga Grantina, Quitting the House, 2014. Mixed media, 235
x 15 x 15cm.
7 Daiga Grantina, Quitting the House (detail), 2014. Mixed
media, 235 x 15 x 15cm.
8 Daiga Grantina, FRUSC, 2014. Mixed media, 100 x 25 x
25cm.
9 Daiga Grantina, Mouth Harness, 2014. Mixed media, 50 x 30
x 15cm.
10 Daiga Grantina, R (detail), 2014. Mixed media, dimensions
variable.

AlexandraNavratilsPlunge/
Soar
BOLTELANG, Zrich

IndependentProjects
CENTER548, New York

SayreGomezsImDifferentand
JPW3s32Leaves,IDontTheFace
ofSmoke
FRANOIS GHEBALY/NIGHT GALLERY, Los Angeles