r u t h   s a c k s
double-sided accumulated
14th january | 27 february 2010

e x t r a s p a z i o  gallery presents Double-sided Accumulated,the first Italian solo exhibition by South African artist Ruth Sacks (Port Elizabeth, 1977; lives and works in Bruxelles) from 14th January until 27th February 2010.

This exhibition starts with the idea of accumulation. Taking isolated incidents and collecting fragments from across different time periods, it focuses on creating new hybrid forms and portable monuments.
In ‘Double-sided Accumulated', Ruth Sacks is careful about adding to the weight of already existing material things. Seemingly disparate objects, images and words have been pinpointed and re-ordered to form new combinations. Sacks has chosen specific elements that reference moments in the history of art and architecture to examine their shifting roles and interpretations within contemporary times.
Some works introduce unlikely connections between zoological diagrams from the turn of the last century and illustrations from Medieval bestiaries. In other works, postcards, coins, bells and luggage are represented with the intention of suggesting alternative interpretations to their initial function.
In The Biggest Sculpture In The World, words take the place of architectural features; Sacks proposes a debate around a mysterious sculpture built in the one of the most fictionalized regions of our time, the Persian Gulf. A version of this work is also included in the group exhibition Dada South, currently on display at The South African National Gallery, Cape Town.

"I try to look to the past in order to try comment on contemporary situations. My aim is to respond to different circumstances with as much sensitivity to context as possible. 

In my recent work, I have been looking at examples from past ages. For example, I am interested in the extent to which the meaning of existing architectural features and decoration from previous times has changed. I am curious as to what future generations will think about our own cultural remains.
Similarly, I have been working with different kinds of fictions and their relationship to the construction of history. Not necessarily as a destabilizing factor, but in a more positive sense. I think fictional narratives are essential in understanding what is happening around us. I therefore look very carefully at the literature or popular mythology that has built up around a topic as a way of approaching it. I see my work as creating new fictions. I find this increasingly leads to text pieces as much as sculptural installations and interventions. I enjoy experimenting with the different forms, variations and possibilities of the use of text, especially across different languages and times." (Ruth Sacks, December 2009)

Ruth Sacks is a South African artist currently living in Brussels where she is resident at the HISK (Higher Institute of Fine Art).
Recent exhibitions include: Performa 09 in New York (hosted by the Museum for African Art, 2009), .ZA in Siena (Palazzo delle Papesse, 2008), the African Pavillion at the 2007 Venice Biennale and Open Studio at Cortex Athletico (Bordeaux, 2007).
Her artist's book False Friends will be launched in March at the Kunstverein, Amsterdam.