WOAW Gallery recently brought a cross-temporal art dialogue, presenting the first solo exhibition in Hong Kong by Berlin-based artist Evgen Čopi Gorišek. The sixteen artworks showcased are all his responses to the Dutch art master Hieronymus Bosch.
In the late 15th century, Hieronymus Bosch conceived his masterpiece “The Garden of Earthly Delights” based on the Catholic Church’s concept of sin and punishment. His works often revolve around the themes of sin and the moral decline of humanity. However, the indulgent behaviors that he deemed as “fallen” are considered everyday life by ordinary people in the 21st century. Therefore, approximately 500 years later, Evgen Čopi Gorišek (born in 1994 in Slovenia) used elements of triptychs to respond to the master’s work, depicting his understanding of the contemporary lost paradise.
Although the work has religious propaganda colors, the inspiration also comes from medieval hell literature and distorted biblical texts, but this work with a strong moral education meaning, prompted Dali and others to regard Bosch as the first modern artist. In this exhibition, Evgen Čopi Gorišek brings out a highly theatrical work that brings entertaining dialogue, re-examining Paradise Lost from a 21st-century perspective.
The exhibition showcases a range of canvas oil paintings, a series of watercolor and pencil sketches on paper, as well as life-sized sculptures. The sculpture, located in the center of the exhibition, depicts a relaxed man sitting happily on a camping chair in the middle of a grassy field, enjoying a picnic. By reassembling realism, metaphor, and fantasy, the artist allows the sculpted man to daydream about life with happiness and satisfaction, inviting the audience to join him on a journey in search of delightful revelations.
Curator Saša Bogojev divided the gallery walls into three parts to commemorate Bosch’s iconic triptych composition, but without delving into the spiritual or religious realm. Evgen referenced many elements from Bosch’s original work, such as using a common horizon, foreground revealing the main characters and story, middle ground depicting lush environments, flowers, and water flow, and artificial elements in the background of “hell”. However, in the current context, a public park replaces the mythical Garden of Eden.
Formerly Bosch’s sinful paradise, it is now a place where people engage in social activities, and these desires are seen by contemporary individuals as a manifestation of their true selves. Their poker-faced expressions carry a Bosch-like sense of eccentricity, and modern humans in Evgen Čopi Gorišek’s new work remain true to themselves, “stealing pleasure” together and enjoying it.
Evgen Čopi Gorišek’s solo exhibition “Paradise Lost and Found”
Date: From now until February 16 (closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Time: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Location: WOAW Gallery, 9 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong
Image source and learn more: WOAW Gallery
