Caroline Achaintre, Alberich., 2022. Hand-tufted wool and fabric lining, 250 x 215 cm. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Annabel Elston.
Caroline Achaintre (b. 1969, France/Germany) works with different media such as tapestry, drawing and ceramics, which she combines in a conceptual as well as process-based way. She transposes traditional techniques into the present, exploring the boundaries between the abstract and the representational. Her ceramics and watercolours, as well as the large-format tapestries, allow animalistic-looking figures and mask-like formations to appear and create a playful and absurd atmosphere. Caroline Achaintre’s first solo museum exhibition in Switzerland provides an insight into the memorable work of the German-French artist. It offers a glimpse of an artistic oeuvre that is characterised by precision, a pleasure in experimentation and unconventionality.
The exhibition title Shiftings alludes not only to the fact that Achaintre transfers traditional techniques such as tapestry or ceramics into the present, but also to her constant testing of the boundaries between abstraction and the figurative. Geometric, mask-like formations and wondrous, seemingly animalistic figures appear in her works, questioning our preconceived view and shifting classical classifications. The magic of Achaintre’s hybrid creatures is hidden in their ambiguity, their beauty lies in their irritation.
