Artwork Data

Title

Dubbel

Artist

Pépé Grégoire

Year

2004

Material

Brons

Artwork Location

Address

Circusplein, Den Haag

City district

Scheveningen

GPS data

52.111302938874, 4.2830492202377 View on map

Artwork Description

Text

Pépé Grégoire played an important role in the selection of the sculptures placed near the Circustheater. Cultural patron Joop van den Ende is an admirer of Grégoire's work and asked him to design a sculpture especially for the square. The idea soon arose to turn it into a real sculpture square and to involve other sculptors in the initiative. Grégoire came up with concrete proposals that were received with enthusiasm.

The sculpture 'Double' represents a human figure stepping out of its silhouette. It is the representation of a theatre personality who temporarily distances himself from his original form and identity in order to play a role. In another sense, the dualistic personality can be reduced to the spectator stepping out of his familiar world for a moment in order to immerse himself in the theatre in the fictional world that unfolds before his eyes on the stage.

In his sculptures, Grégoire is intensely concerned with his fellow man. He looks at life with a wink. That is his second nature. There is not only drama in his work, but also humour. The two go well together, both in life and in art. The sculptor wants to bring extremes together. His themes range from art-historical references, archaeology, contrasting human images, cyclical life, acrobatics and athleticism to his personal living conditions. Without the ability to put things into perspective, life for him becomes a lot more boring and unpleasant, and at times even unbearable.

In Grégoire's sculptures, the aesthetic of the mutilated body has taken on a life of its own. The fascination for body fragments, loose limbs and the deformed body has everything to do with the wonderful combination of tragedy and heroism that lurks in them. In 'Double', by way of exception, he portrays the whole human being.

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