Zirkus 2013

Curator: Eckart Hahn’s 2013 work, "Zirkus," created with mixed-media including acrylic paint, is striking in its composition. What's your initial reaction? Editor: There’s something undeniably playful yet unsettling about this piece. The high-contrast black bull, partially covered in dripping yellow paint, is a very bizarre but striking juxtaposition. The light source, the sharp geometry, and color saturation contribute to this disorienting mood. Curator: The ape figure painting the bull introduces potent symbolism, referencing perhaps the human manipulation of nature or even the idea of the artist imposing control over their subject. There are echoes here of centuries-old visual tropes – the animal as noble savage, tamed yet wild. Editor: The yellow paint itself is so important. It reads as both material and symbolic: a substance applied through labor but also a mark of defacement, altering the bull's natural form. And then the paint bucket at the base, grounding us in the tools and byproducts of making. Curator: Yes, and this act of ‘painting’—the application of identity, maybe—creates tension. The bull's passive acceptance feels like a loaded symbol of subjugation or even cultural performance. The composition evokes an unease—is this a commentary on power? Editor: It's almost mocking traditional artistic hierarchies, placing a commonplace act like painting onto such grandiose figures. And the flawless brushwork makes the action absurd. Hahn uses material, representation, and labor to destabilize art history! Curator: Absolutely. Consider, too, how Hahn draws upon art historical depictions of bulls – often symbols of strength and virility. The simian element seems like an overt gesture toward destabilizing symbols of established traditions or patriarchy. Editor: Hahn invites a conversation about what art means and how it's crafted – and this has me reassessing the impact of material interventions. What appears frivolous and slapdash is underpinned with a sense of dark intent! Curator: Indeed. It's a clever manipulation of images we think we know, forcing us to question the narratives embedded in them. Editor: A piece like "Zirkus" truly showcases art's power to reflect – and challenge – our values regarding labor and culture.