Tony Matelli - A Human Echo

In autumn 2012, ARoS presents a major exhibition with the American artist Tony Matelli.

in an often hyper-realistic idiom, Matelli depicts the more disturbing aspects of man and society. His sculptures balance on the border between horror and humour: in several of his works, he turns innocence into absurdity, as when animals or humans are mauled by various weapons and tools. This can be seen in the work Fucked, which has been a challenging and much-discussed part of ARoS' permanent collection since 2006. Just as it is seen in a number of early works of monkeys in human situations.

"Behind the scenes interview by I DO ART Agency.

With this exhibition, ARoS wants to introduce visitors to an artist whose work reinterprets the American realist sculpture tradition. He does this by casting a simultaneously disturbing and humorous look at the contemporary world in which he lives. This can also be seen in ARoS' new acquisition Yesterday, which, as a monument to boredom, depicts an oversized house of cards made of playing cards, beer cans, leftover pizza and cigarette butts. The sculpture is cast in bronze, creating a humorous contrast between the subject and the material.

Looking at Tony Matelli's work as a whole, one can see how, over the last ten years, he has moved away from depicting humans to simply capturing signs of human existence.

The exhibition will include both existing and new works created especially for ARoS.

Tony Matelli (b. 1971) lives and works in New York.