Monster Chetwynd

A unique fusion of performance, sculpture, and painting creates immersive worlds where art history, pop culture, and humour intertwine. As the first performance artist nominated for the Turner Prize in 2012, Monster Chetwynd embraces improvisation, allowing space for spontaneous, authentic moments.

The exhibition invites visitors to discover Chetwynd's works in a scenography designed by the artist herself. Her practice is characterized by the bricolage method, influenced by Claude Lévi-Strauss. Inspired by the historic Via Appia near Rome and its monumental tombs, the exhibition integrates key works from her artistic career: sculptures, early performance documentation, and paintings from the 'Bat Opera' series, in which she merges art historical references - such as the works of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo - with zoological depictions of bats.

For the first time, the exhibition shows all three episodes of the ‘Hermitos Children’ film series together. These combine experimental film-making and surreal humour with profound reflections on themes such as collaboration and humanity, and also present her performances in a new and innovative way. ‘My aim with “Hermitos Children” was to solve the dilemma of documenting the uniqueness of performances without losing their vitality’, Chetwynd explains.

Monster Chetwynd shapes the art scene not only through radical and creative works but also with her unique personality. In 2018, she chose the artist name 'Monster' as a playful challenge to conventions and identity. ‘I think the name works well because it is genderless, engulfing, inclusive, and undefined’, says Chetwynd.

An interactive highlight in the Garden of art

Parallel to the exhibition, Monster Chetwynd is the first artist to create a commissioned work for the Garten der Kunst (Garden of art) of the Chipperfield building. The sculpture, set to open in early summer, draws on the tradition of the ‘folly’ – a playful form of garden architecture that fascinates with its apparent uselessness. But it is more than just a visual attraction: its hollow interior conceals a gigantic climbing structure, inviting visitors to explore it in an interactive and playful way.

This project is supported by the Hans Imholz Foundation, a further foundation which prefers to remain anonymous, as well as private patrons from the Gateway Fund, which promotes contemporary art installations in the public space.

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Il.: Monster Chetwynd, The Trompe l'oeil Cleavage, 2025 © Monster Chetwynd