Naoki Sutter-Shudo
Gisant
2024
Found printed matter, paper flowers, painted wood, stainless steel
43 x 12.7 x 4 cm
Edition of two copies signed and numbered by the artist, plus two artist’s proofs
At the heart of this edition is a found photograph, one of those that appear on cigarette cartons sold in the European Union, with the aim of warning consumers about the dangers of smoking. By reconstituting this carton in the form of a half-open coffin adorned with a bouquet of funeral flowers, Sutter-Shudo appropriates this warning with a mixture of delicacy and dark humor, once again questioning the contradictions inherent in consumer society. In so doing, he also places this edifying, circumstantial image in a broader visual universe, that of popular American TV series as well as the great pictorial and sculptural tradition.
Naoki Sutter-Shudo’s exhibition took place at Keijiban from April 15 to May 14, 2024.