Untitled - krinzinger projekte - Galerie Krinzinger

AES+F24LE ROI DE LA FORÊT –LE ROI DES AULNESÂEkaterina Degot, in: “NU The Nordic ArtReview”, 2001The project "The King of the Forest" is aseries of performances in different countries(Russia, Sweden, Egypt, France, Italyetc.).The "King of the Forest" is a mythologicalcreature of Europe. It kidnaps beautifulchildren and hides them in its palace. Thisplot was used in a poem by J.W. Goetheand in a novel by Michel Tournier (titled"Le Roi des Aulnesâ"). For the first performancein throne hall of the Catherine IIspalace in Pushkin town we chose morethen two hundred pupils of the specialballet and sport schools and some childrenof model agencies fromSt.Petersburg, all of them from 3 and 5 to11 years old.The unhappy paedophilic protagonist ofMichel Tournier's "Le roi des Aulnesâ" -after which the work of AES+F is named -was a keen photographer, sublimating hisobsession in obsessive representation." Inthe performance "Le Roi des Aulnesâ"children are represented in a large crowd,and there is a totalitarian twist about it.Are they victims looking at the invisibletyran giving them orders as in Tournier'snovel where children are entering the Naziyouthcamp and the totalitarian fascinationwith the fragile young beauty is addressed?Are they called by an invisible ForestKing who will take the mout of this life,turn them into statues? Or are they generatingthe stereotype themselves, willinglyentering the realm of the image?Like the children on these photographs,many artists today including AES+F arewalking a rope of glamour stereotype,since they feel this is the only way throughthe abyss. Some are balancing dangerously,some are brilliantly falling and catchingthe rope again: the point is to be onthe edge. In any case, the show is unavoidable:these are those to be shown,these are those to take the ingrateful jobof representation.bottom:AES+F“Le Roi des Aulnesâ”, 2001-02inkjetprint on canvas120x140cm