TEMPTATION

Photography by Danny Calvi

AA Bronson's photographic installation 'Hanged Man' from 2002 appears in the exhibition.

The first thing you notice about AA Bronson’s exhibition, ‘The Temptation of AA Bronson’, at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam is the smell. AA had a butt load of sage — known for its spiritual cleansing properties and heady aroma — shipped in for the occasion. It covers the floor and crackles under your toes as you meander through the galleries.

Bronson has described the exhibtion as ‘not your normal objective third-party exhibition, but rather more like an artist project combining my own work and my collaborations with work by other people’. It features key works from many queer artists living and dead, including some gorgeous abstract sperm portraits by Matthias Herrman, as well as works by Terence Koh, Derek Jarman and a look at AA’s previous gig with the media-based collective, General Idea. There’s also a collection of over one hundred fagazines on display, and AA has revised and expanded his comprehensive catalog of zine enthusiasts, ‘Queer Zines’.

The opening also featured a number of eye-opening performances, like one from Nils Bech singing in a bold a cappella style. In the coming months, look for more special events, such as a film screening curated by Stuart Comer and more ritualized performance convened by AA and friends.

‘The Temptation of AA Bronson’ runs from Thursday, 5 Septemeber 2013 until 5 January, 2014 at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. For more info, visit their website.