Cherry Blossom no. 9

Four photographs show two men in a disturbingly red light who are immobilized in artificial postures. Held by a multitude of tight lines, the bodies evoke something macabre: two corpses and a crime scene.

By choosing the human body over the materiality of the object, Gilbert&George transform, in their own words, “two lives into a unique and large sculpture.” By dedicating their whole life and body to art, they have reached the most alive form of sculpture. By taking photographs of themselves, as in Cherry Blossom no.9, they capture a performative situation and atmosphere of themselves.

The Cherry Blossom no.9 photographs by the Gilbert&George duo are held in the Pinault Collection. They were first presented in the exhibition Dancing With Myself at the Museum Folkwang in Essen (2016).