This historical presentation at Schaulager brought together Matthew Barney's complete Drawing Restraint archive for the first time. The unique display juxtaposed contemporary performance art and sculptures with prominent sixteenth-century Northern Renaissance works on paper. Visitors can explore the creative dialogue between modern exertion and classical religious visual traditions through these detailed records.
Read curatorial context and practical visitor information for Matthew Barney: Prayer Sheet with the Wound and the Nail at Schaulager in Basel
This exhibition presented the entire 'Drawing Restraint' archive by Matthew Barney for the first time in public, placing his multi-part performance series in a unique dialogue with Northern Renaissance paintings and works on paper. Through this juxtaposition, the show explored themes of creative exertion, physical resistance, and the intersection of secular and religious visual traditions.
The exhibition 'Matthew Barney: Prayer Sheet with the Wound and the Nail' offered a comprehensive look at the artist's multi-part series 'Drawing Restraint', which examines the creative process through physical and psychological challenges. By displaying the complete archive alongside four monumental sculptures, Schaulager created an environment that highlighted Barney's rigorous performance documentation and sculptural forms. A central feature of the exhibition was the juxtaposition of Barney's work with 16th and early 17th-century art, including works by Martin Schongauer, Albrecht Dürer, Hans Baldung Grien, and Lucas Cranach the elder. This intentional contrast sought to illuminate latent meanings within Barney’s contemporary allegories by setting them against the iconographic and belief systems of historical religious art. The show also featured the public premiere of 'Drawing Restraint 17' and 'Drawing Restraint 18', which were created specifically at Schaulager during the exhibition period.
The exhibition took place in 2010 at Schaulager and is now closed. Information regarding historical publications and exhibition guides remains available through the official Schaulager website archive for scholarly reference.
Review exhibition status, schedule, venue context, and attribution details for Matthew Barney: Prayer Sheet with the Wound and the Nail at Schaulager in Basel
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