In Wim Delvoye’s often monumental works, an irreverent state of mind combines with technical and technological prowess to bend the rules of morality. Transgressing common standards of decency, he tackles the debates and taboos that run through society, particularly those related to the transient nature of the body (death, sexuality, excrements), religion and politics.
The sculpture Pluto & Proserpina is a direct reference to a work made by Bernini in 1621/22. It depicts the kidnapping of Proserpina by Pluto, the god of the Underworld, before he makes her his wife. In Delvoye’s version of this masterpiece, the original work has been reproduced and digitally reworked. This cheeky nod to the master of Baroque sculpture metaphorically reproduces the ‘rape’ depicted by Bernini’s work.
