Dionysian Silk Mysteries
painted silk
residency, interstices of in-habitance
Ethereal Maison Gallery
Jan 31 - Feb 28, 2025
Twenty-five figures from the Villa of Mysteries Room 5 wall painting were painted on a silk sheet. The painted tapestry presents the figures isolated from the wall and separated from each other, rearranging the narrative between each occupant. When folded and warped, the characters begin to react to each other in new unforeseen ways, creating new dialogues between them. Having them draped on a ‘blank canvas’ allows more focus on the characters and their actions. Subtle interactions emerge that are hidden in the fresco’s original composition.
Inspired by Maria Barosso’s near life-sized 1925 watercolour reproductions, this work seeks to reveal what is obscured in situ: gestures, expressions and narrative cues. Painting on silk adds a sense of movement and tactility as well, echoing the myth of Parrhasios who deceived with fabric in painted form. Here, the silk becomes both the surface and a veil, offering an illusion that reanimates the fresco’s characters with newfound agency and fluidity.
photos by Marisa Müsing and Jiayi Chen.
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