Recently, major auction houses have also started their spring auction promotions. Christie’s recently announced that they will collaborate with HomeArt during this auction season to present the world’s first joint exhibition of two cross-generational art masters, Francis Bacon and Adrian Ghenie, allowing their works that both focus on pain and trauma to spark a tension-filled dialogue in the same space.
每幅: 35.5 x 30.5 cm 1970 年作 Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon was born in 1907 in Ireland, and his indulgent experiences in life allowed him to understand the dark side of human nature and the emptiness of the soul, often showcasing the pain of life in his works. His unique style, focusing on portraits, often depicts figures with sinister faces and twisted body postures, exuding a dark aesthetic. One of his past works, “Three Studies of Lucian Freud” (1969), was sold at Christie’s New York in 2014 for $142 million, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a work of art at that time.
右：《無眼簾》油彩 畫布 50.2 x 40 cm 2015 年作 Adrian Ghenie
Although born a generation apart from the dark master Bacon, Adrian Ghenie, born in Romania in 1977, shares with him a passion for exploring dark and fragile themes in his artistic practice. Ghenie uses art to showcase human trauma, while also paying attention to collective memory and the stark contrast between good and evil. He paints using non-traditional splattering, dripping, and palette knife techniques, creating raw and intricate compositions. With a touch of violent brushstrokes, his works are filled with a sense of darkness and pain.
右：《習作:教宗 I》油彩 畫布 152 x 119 cm 1961 年作 Francis Bacon
Both individuals show an interest in photographic images, as they enjoy studying how these printed images, collected in books or seen in the online world, add texture to life experiences. This unique cinematic language also fills the compositions of the two artists with drama. Their inspiration comes from dark moments in history, as well as influential figures, including ancient popes, lovers, friends, prominent figures of the 20th century, and notorious historical and cultural figures. The artistic masterpieces showcased in this exhibition include Bacon’s “Portrait Sitting” and “Two Studies: Self-Portrait,” as well as Ghenie’s “Collector 3” and “Sunflowers of 1937,” allowing the works of both individuals to engage in a dramatic dialogue.
Don’t miss this groundbreaking joint exhibition to discover the similarities in theme exploration between these two extraordinary modern painters!
“Flesh and Soul: Bacon/Ghenie”
Date: May 21 to 29, 2022
Location: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Image source and learn more: Christie’s
