Thematic Pavilion

The Clean Room

Sofie Muller’s art is grounded in visceral sculpting and the incorporation of bodily fluids, exploring the essence of vulnerability. “The Clean Room” delves into the ethical dimensions of reproductive technology. Life-size alabaster baby sculptures, some composed of multiple fragments, challenge societal norms. Among representations of perceived damage, one infant symbolises the societal ideal. The pavilion transforms into a platform for critical discourse. Muller’s meticulous sculpting process, reminiscent of a birthing genesis, shapes the conceptual understanding of birth. The artist’s deliberate curation ensures a nuanced environmental context, adding profound meaning to her creations.

Curator

Curator Azad Asifovich | Co-curator Asli Samadova

Azad Asifovich is a curator and art talker with a background in political science, culturology and curatorial studies based in Paris, France. He is interested in relationships between artistic practice, contexts and its representation. Many of his projects question gray zones, gender, art world and revisiting (non)western historical references through the boundaries of visitor experience and common knowledge such as anime, tv series and linguistic habits.His recent curatorial projects includes Geopolitical Anamorphoses by Ghazel at Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki – Casa Bianca (Grece), Silver Dust by Nikolay Koshelev at Oregon Contemporary (USA)._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Asli Samadova is a cultural manager, museum specialist, and curator. She has collaborated with cultural organizations across Europe and the USA – GWU Textile Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Pinacoteca di Brera, Islamic Art Museum in Berlin, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Textile Museum of Sweden – Borås, Goethe-Institut, UNESCO – in the fields of exhibition making, academic research, publications and cultural undertakings. Asli is a recipient of Prince Claus Fund’s inaugural Seed Award 2021 and named one of 100 “future trendsetters” from the Global South and Asia Society’s Asia 21 Next Generation fellow, class of 2023.

Artist/s

Sofie Muller

Belgian artist Sofie Muller (b. 1974, Sint Niklaas) crafts alabaster and bronze sculptures and smoke drawings from her Ghent studio. Her oeuvre weaves a complex narrative of body, identity, gender, and memory. Muller’s child sculptures and drawings embody mental states arising from the duality of body and mind. Articulating contradictions, exploring genetic transformation, and reflecting on themes like desire and exclusion, she delves into the human condition. Muller’s continuous exploration of individual vulnerability is supported by materials such as blood, smoke, and alabaster, enriching her installations and works on paper. Her artistic pursuit strives to intimately approach human nature and the essence of life.