Marsyas and me

Galerie La Forest Divonne Brussels is delighted to present Marsyas and me, a solo exhibition by Tinka Pittoors from Sept. 12 to Nov. 2, 2024. For this second exhibition under the gallery’s glass Art Deco roof, the Antwerp-based sculptor will present new glazed ceramic sculptures in intriguing, organic forms inspired by the myth of Marsyas.

The myth of Marsyas is an antique tale of pride between Apollo, the celestial god, and Marsyas, a satyr with the chest of a man and the feet of a goat. Marsyas, full of arrogance, claims to be able to challenge the god of Music to a duel to determine who plays the most beautiful melody. However, Apollo is victorious and decides to punish the satyr by flaying him alive, then nailing his skin to a tree.

This exhibition follows Daphne and me, presented at the gallery in 2019. In that exhibition, the Antwerp-based artist explored the mythological character of Daphne, who transforms herself into a laurel tree in order to escape the pursuit of Apollo. Pittoors, once again, draws inspiration from a founding myth that develops two powerful, contradictory themes: one by which the artist escapes his mortal condition through creative inspiration and the quest for beauty, the other by which he identifies with ephemeral, fragile nature, through his body and sensibility. Marsyas is punished for trying to equal Appolon through music, and ends up chained to a tested Nature to which his destiny is inextricably linked.

The Marsys and me exhibition is part of RENDEZ-VOUS, the new Brusseles Gallery Weekend running from September 12 to 15, including Sunday.