Louise Hindsgavl: Conversation Pieces

The Danish sculptor Louise Hindsgavl (born 1973, lives in Copenhagen) is known for hybrid figurines made of porcelain and glazed stoneware: half animal, half human. Only their material evokes the idealized and kitschy scenes traditionally rendered in porcelain; however, Hindsgavl' s " sculptural collisions" tell of disturbing encounters between tormented beast-like people. For that she draws from brutal folktales of the past as much as from the ubiquitous " fairytales" of today' s social media that normalize violence, sexual abuse, and self-harm. Using one of the most fragile materials, she brings these trends into focus for discussion, calling her sculptures Conversation Pieces- which is also the title of this interesting and provocative book.