Paul McCarthy - Head Shop / Shop Head

In an extensive installation staged by the artist himself, ARoS presented many key works from Paul McCarthy's 40 years of artistic production. Based in Los Angeles - home to the dream factories of Hollywood and Disney - McCarthy commented on and challenged Western culture.

No human activity is taboo for him. Conventions and authority are consistently challenged, which is why his art is often frightening, disturbing and absurd. Man and his bodily fluids are at the centre, and male authority and identity are particularly under fire. Since the mid-60s, McCarthy has experimented with all artistic media.

The exhibition included his early minimalist works and the famous performances that caused a furore in the 70s, as well as the large mechanical sculptures of the following decade. The 90s, when the artist delved with humour and irony into the unique world of pop art, were represented by a number of his famous 'overgrown' sculptures.

Finally, the exhibition included one of McCarthy's most famous works - Bossy Burger - a milestone in international installation art of the 90s. The absolute highlight of the exhibition was the bizarre, disturbing and macabre giant installation Caribbean Pirates inspired by Disneyland's popular installation of the same name. The exhibition at ARoS was staged by the artist in collaboration with the museum.

The exhibition, which was organised by Moderna Museet, Stockholm, was to travel to S.M.A.K. in Belgium after ARoS