Zachary Williams

Eros examines the diminishing complexity of desire in modern society, emphasizing a need to confront pain and longing to cultivate a genuine experience. Through various artistic practices, the exhibit celebrates and scrutinizes intimacy, highlighting the multifaceted nature of eros beyond its superficial manifestations.

Devalued in our consumer-driven society, Eros has been reduced to a shallow pursuit of pleasure and gratification. Byung Chul Han’s theory, "The Agony of Eros," challenges prevailing notions and delves into the intricate relationship between desire and eros in contemporary society. According to Han, modern context has sapped eros of its depth and complexity, turning it into a mere "pleasure machine" seeking instant satisfaction and consumption. In classical Greek thought, eros spans from base sexual desire to profound intellectual and even spiritual experiences. Han further elucidates that eros is closely intertwined with pain, longing, and inner incompleteness. By confronting and embracing these facets, individuals can nurture a deeper, more authentic experience of eros and desire, transcending mere pleasure-seeking and consumerism.

Eros is a group exhibition of international artists that gathers diverse practices to reflect upon and build upon the role of eros in our personal lives. The artists confront reduction while embracing complexity. Their works mirror the paradoxical and contradictory nature of intimacy, driven by the desires that propel these interactions. This internal tug within our psyche yields humor, relief, danger, violence, progress, and regression. Intimacy fueled by eros can both ail and heal. Within the exhibit, we observe bodies intertwined, unraveling, and examined; as viewers, we confront our own role—are we voyeurs? Moments of celebration, peace, and scrutiny are captured; how we perceive our bodies influences our experience of intimacy. Eros transcends carnal pursuit, evolving into a layered experience of the mind—a fusion of our most primal and human aspects. It's both sublime and perilous, evident in the exhibition where our mental landscapes are as exposed as our corporeal forms.

The voices of the artworks form a diverse chorus. Depictions of intimacy are celebrated, both in partnerships and solitudes. At times, they're dissected. Women engage in moments of nude self-indulgence, detached from the commodified realm of online dating apps. Two men entwine in sex, seamlessly merging with foreground objects. Tongues overlap in a tactile dance. What it means to be human underlined in an imagined creation myth. Solitude and communion become equal realms of intimacy and examination. Sexuality through this lens, as both identity and action, is a blend of nature and nurture. An age-old act transformed by commercialization, estranged from its core essence and transformative potential; the consumption of intimacies necessitates thoughtful contemplation of our self-perception and interactions with others. The interplay of desire, vulnerability, and connection is both celebrated and distorted, Eros beckons us to explore the intricate landscapes of our bodies and relationships, inviting us to reclaim authenticity and meaning amidst the complexities of contemporary existence.

- P21