Lodovico Corsini presents Flowers of Romance
Lodovico Corsini is presenting the group show Flowers of Romance.
Curated by the acclaimed British writer, Charlie Fox, Flowers of Romance is a dreamy, lovesick group show exploring all the different forms that romance can take from obsession to heartbreak and true love. The object of desire is shape-shifting, too, of course: it can be an animal, another person, a material, or flowers themselves…
The show is divided into two acts: Day and Night. If we were their relationship therapist, we’d probably say Act One (The Day of the Smitten Leopards) is the sweet part of this folie a deux while Act Two (The Night of the Heartbroken Racoon) is kind of… darker, but then power couples always have strange effects on each other. Both are equally influenced by Roxy Music’s Avalon. Love is the drug.
"I wanted to make a dissociative zone where all kinds of magical objects could flirt with each other and seduce you, like wandering around a Disney version of the Garden of the Eden on hallucinogens, full of wild animals freaking out, weird music, lush grass underfoot like in Alice Through the Looking-Glass."
— Charlie Fox
Flowers of Romance - Act One
13 September - 26 October
The opening of Act One will take place on Friday 13th September between 5pm and 8pm, coinciding with RendezVous— Brussels Art Week.
With works by Nobuyoshi Araki, Matthew Barney, Javier Barrios, Julie Becker, Camille Blatrix, Matt Copson, Aria Dean, Francesca Facciola, Karen Kilimnik, George Kuchar, Calvin Marcus, Sam McKinniss, Ron Nagle, Laura Owens, Torbjorn Rodland, Rachel Rose, Borna Sammak, Jack Smith, Hajime Sorayama, Cy Twombly, and Cosima von Bonin, and a soundtrack by Oliver Leith.
Flowers of Romance - Act Two
8 November - 21 December
Lodovico Corsini
Avenue Van Volxemlaan 311
1190 Brussels, Belgium
https://www.lodovicocorsini.com
Text from the curator
FLOWERS OF ROMANCE
Aw, I’ve always been a romantic.
I fancied the skunk from Bambi, I love Sade— as in Diamond Life, not Justine. Once when I was sick, I watched The Age of Innocence five times in two days. This romantic tendency may also manifest in the fact that I’ve always found reality weirdly… unfinished. This is why we have art, probably, to make up for a certain lack of imagination in the external world, or from ‘God’.
All those thoughts play out in Flowers of Romance. I wanted to make a dissociative zone where all kinds of magical objects could flirt with each other and seduce you, like a fucked-up Disney version of the Garden of the Eden, full of wild animals freaking out, weird music, hallucinogens weaved on the breeze. Dreamy and dangerous.
‘Freaking out’? You bet. I mean, falling in love is disorientating and scary just as much as it makes you feel like you’re skipping across the sky or whatever. Your heart melts. ‘Romance’ is a rabbit hole into thinking about heartbreak, weird kinks, extremely gorgeous animals, ecstasy and depression, angels and demons.
When the idea of the show was just beginning to bloom in my mind, I was thinking about a lot of luscious simulations of nature, too, the hyperreal fruitfulness of baroque painting coupled with Spielberg’s Hook. Something good enough to eat. Heathers is also a big deal here, of course: ‘lick it up, baby, lick it up.’
I’d tell you something kind of meaningful about John Donne’s poetry or ‘post-Koons aesthetics of cuteness’ or the best way to appreciate the fantastic purple watermelon balls on George Kuchar’s portrait of his beloved dog. (R.I.P. George and Bocko) but it’s way more fun to just get lost in the jungle. OK, I will say that almost everything you need to know about the show is contained within the video for ‘Kiss of Love’ by Sade: Skittles-tinted colour, chronic longing, roses on fire.
Love is the drug.
— Charlie Fox
About Lodovico Corsini
Transitioning from Clearing to Lodovico Corsini in 2024, the gallery's history is linked to that of Clearing in Brussels, which was directed by Lodovico Corsini and has an ambitious exhibition programme, which made it one of the most cutting-edge destinations for contemporary art in Brussels.
Lodovico Corsini represents emerging and established artists, such as Meriem Bennani, Calvin Marcus, Marina Pinsky, Matt Copson and Javier Barrios among others, as well as the estate of René Heyvaert and Bruno Gironcoli.
Lodovico Corsini supports its artists by producing works and exhibitions, as well as working closely with public and private institutions.
About Charlie Fox
Charlie Fox is a writer and artist who lives in London. His book This Young Monster is published by Fitzcarraldo Editions. He curated the twin shows My Head is a Haunted House for Sadie Coles HQ and Dracula’s Wedding for RODEO. His work has appeared in Dazed, 032c, The Paris Review and The New York Times.
Selection of images
Download the images here
