Déformation Professionnelle By Nairy Baghramian

Last year, Berlin-based artist Nairy Baghramian created new art pieces from some of her older works for a special exhibition at the S.M.A.K. art gallery in Gent, Belgium. Named Déformation Professionnelle, which refers to “an adjustment to one’s worldview that results from being overly specialized”, the collection of artworks explored the concept of progress as well as the process of creating something new.

Remade for the distinctive rooms of the gallery and the outside areas, the now site-specific sculptures gain a new character and meaning. They take a closer look at the artist’s creative process while also establishing a dialogue with the exhibition spaces. Class Reunion (2008), Retainer (2012) and French Curve (2014) are some of the 18 works that acted as a conceptual foundation for the new pieces. The resulting selection of sculptures and installations connect the frameworks of previous artworks with the architectural features of the gallery. The almost organic organism seems to travel from room to room, changing its features to correspond to Baghramian’s different artworks created from 1999 to 2016. Photo credits: Timo Ohler.