Exhibition Review : “Lactose Intolerance” by Simon Fujiwara at Dvir Gallery

Every time I leave an exhibition I promised myself to write about it as soon as I get home. Even if it’s short, even if it’s just my modest thoughts and opinions, but most of the time I end up procrastinating. Sometimes I wish that I was running a food or fashion blog, talking about my lunch or my outfit of the day sounds more appealing that sharing my feelings on an artist work. However, when I created this platform I wanted to make sure to not make this all thing about me, but to give a stage to creativity, to artists and sharing art daily with an easy going approach.

So I’m going to try to be more spontaneous with my reviews, and think less ahead. “Seize the day” they said right?

Lactose Intolerance by Simon Fujiwara in view at the Dvir Gallery until April 25 

Simon Fujiwara took us on an uncommon journey through the three exhibition floors of the Dvir Gallery. We started at the bottom (like we always do) to find ourselves in North Korea. Let me explain, the artist commissioned seven paintings of milk (all oil on canvas, but one in acrylic) to the Mansudae Art Studio (a kind of art factory) located in North Korea in a region where no fresh milk is produce due to high level of lactose intolerance among its locals (the frequency of lactose intolerance ranges from 5% in Northern Europe to 90% in some African and Asian countries).

The large scale paintings are therefore anonymous, and no credits is given to the artists. The use of the oil on canvas gives a traditional dimension to the paintings, a touch from another time even though the style is so pristine and clear that we can also feel a certain mechanism in the way they were executed. The paintings  for me felt objectified, but I can’t tell for sure that the artist was going for the painting/object perception.

On the second floor, we found ourselves back in Israel, more precisely in the Kibbutz of Ein Harod well known for its dairy farm. The series of paintings presented were made by Israeli cows. Yes by cows, after all who better than them knows about lactation and milk? These abstract paintings made by anonymous cows in a dairy factory (the canvases were put on their floors during their milking session) weirdly echo the ones made by the Korean artists in their art factory.

Our last stop is in Germany. I honestly still did not connect this third part with the rest, but really enjoy “Merkel”. Also presenting abstract paintings that apparently when all put together represent a giant portrait of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Made with the help of the Chancellor’s make-up assistant, the linen are cover with the make-up that is use everyday on the leader face. Not obvious at first sight, but after knowing the approach behind the paintings we feel a strange intimacy with Merkel, like we were standing so close from her face.