Ever After: A Trilogy (I... I... I...)

The presence of a mouse in an exhibition, with its head poked through a hole at the bottom of a wall, is surprising. Even more so when it addresses us in a childish voice, that of the artist's daughter. This stammering little animatronic mouse tries in vain to express itself, in a rather confused monologue, then gives up and admits it doesn't know what to say. As is often the case in Ryan Gander's work, Ever After: A Trilogy (I... I... I...) is characterized by mischief and surprise, a piece whose lightness makes it so approachable. Equipped with a battery, trapped in its programmatic loop, this mouse stops the visitor in their tracks, confuses and creates an illusion. Forced to go through cycle upon cycle, until exhaustion, it makes us think and smile about our condition.

Using objects and facts drawn from his personal experience, Ryan Gander develops a generous practice that engages with the imagination and dreams. As he says: “In this era where there's a lot of noise and flashing and blinking and worrying and beeping and bright colours and shiny surfaces and reflections and a rainbow and loud noises and whoops and bangs—all of which are aimed at commanding our attention—that actually, you don't need to shout anymore, that a whisper will suffice. And sometimes a whisper commands greater attention because society has realised that the things that grab our attention are often the things that aren't valid and valuable information.”

This work was first presented by the Pinault Collection at the inaugural exhibition of the Bourse de Commerce in 2021, entitled "Ouverture".