JANIS RAFA
WE BETRAYED THE HORSES / ΕΜΕΙΣ ΠΟΥ ΠΡΟΔΩΣΑΜΕ ΤΑ ΑΛΟΓΑ
In We Betrayed the Horses the artist once again turns her insightful gaze to the image of the horse, which frequently recurs in her practice, this time from the perspective of what she herself has termed the performed horse, denoting the idea of the horse as a ‘construct’ of our own making, far removed from its own instincts, physicality and desires; a means, therefore, for the fulfillment of human needs and an instrument of pleasure. The works also examine the gendered, and elitist nature of horsemanship.
The exhibition continues the artist’s investigation into the notions of care and betrayal, sensuality and domination, love and control, but will also further explore the idea of a ‘colonization’ of the animal world, of physical subjugation and non-consensual relationships. While many of the artist’s previous works centre on the animal body, her new work in the exhibition focuses on the absence of that body.
