i have already told you guys i was super excited only thinking about seeing the giger retrospective in vienna. and it turned out to be so worth it!
i went there and parked my mom downstairs with a glass of nice cold voslauer mit gas (she saw enough giger for a lifetime with her two kids sticking their likes on the walls). i got the ticket and went upstairs.
and then…wow!
the exhibition was divided on two floors and included everything from the zodiac signs mini sculptures, the guardian angel and the alien pieces to many of the famous air brushed paintings.
in a corner, this was playing in a loop. it’s 144 minutes long. i must’ve left after approximately half an hour. it gets you a glimpse into the astonishing life and work of giger. i’m considering getting it for a quiet night in.
it was amazing to find myself be in the presence of the breath taking li I (the legend says that li was shocked to see herself painted in that manner and tore the painting but giger managed to restore it). li I and li II were both painted in 1974, but in vienna there was also a li III dated 2000.
the swiss artist is known for his hot, disturbing steampunk world inhabited by half organic half machine creatures. his early personal life is famously marked by his tempestuous relationship with unstable actress li tobler. a year after her suicide, in 1976, he carried out a memorial homage called the second celebration of the four which was a controversial celebration of the four elements by himself and friends.
in 1980, he got an oscar for best visual design (for his contribution to ridley scott’s alien). another important film collaboration is species, a film for which he designed the sil creature as well as the ghost train in a dream sequence.
his connections with the music world are well known. among the best known are his portrait of the newly solo debbie harry for the cover of her first album koo koo and the penis landscape, the work used by the dead kennedys as a poster inserted in their frankenchrist album.
still, i’m pretty sure that, after alien, korn’s jonathan davis mic stand is the second best known giger reference ever. jonathan commissioned giger to make a biomechanical, erotic, and movable stand for his microphone. the contract indicated that five aluminium microphone stands were to be made, but only three were to be purchased by davis. in the end, he only got two. later, the design of the stand became the nubian queen, a sculpture that (many say) has li’s face.
after more research, i found out more about the museum in gruyeres and the 2 bars in gruyères and chur (for more on that try to get your hands on this). their design looks amazingly alien!
so, i just put switzerland on my list for some giger tour: the museum, the bars and perhaps some healthy stalking hoping to get to see his sculpture garden…
oh, yeah! in case you happen to have extra cash and/or you want to make a safe investment in (mind blowing, visceral) art, visit his e-store for giger stuff. enjoy!
1 comment
Andreea says:
Jun 11, 2011
e fascinant, indeed :)