Organized by the National Gallery of Canada
The exhibition Real Life: Ron Mueck and Guy Ben-Ner showcases two important voices in contemporary art who share a common interest in a direct, hands-on approach to art-making capable of bridging the gap between experience and our reflection on it. The work of Australian-born, London-based sculptor Ron Mueck, drawn from the collection of the National Gallery of Canada, is exhibited alongside the work of increasingly prominent Israeli-born artist Guy Ben-Ner.
Taken together, the work of these two artists creates a narrative in Real Life about the contradictions of the human condition: the need to live collectively and responsibly while locked into our individual experiences and desires, and the blunt reality that birth and death mark moments of absolute separation. Following Ron Mueck's outstanding solo show at the National Gallery in 2007, Real Life offers viewers the opportunity to investigate this aspect of his production in greater detail by following his evocative sculptures on a journey from the beginning to end of life. At the same time, the exhibition serves to introduce a comprehensive selection from the exciting and original oeuvre of Guy Ben-Ner, works that humorously but critically engage the everyday dramas of real life, as our relationships with others, and ourselves, take shape.
Curated by Jonathan Shaughnessy
Participating Artists
Ron Mueck and Guy Ben-Ner
