Aleksandra Domanovic: Bulls Without Horns

Personal and public histories often meld in the work of Aleksandra Domanović. Questioning the idea of an inflexible, concrete historical timeline, the artist’s experiences often become an impetus for the rigorous historical inquiry that guides her practice. Her works in sculpture, video, photography and installation engage with the often unmentioned or unrealized politics that shape society.

For her upcoming exhibition at Tanya Leighton, Aleksandra Domanović will broaden her scope, looking at the metaphorical, practical, and scientific importance of animals to the human understanding of our world, from Archaic Greece into the Anthropocene present and the future. The exhibition, which will span both gallery spaces, features entirely new bodies work that build allegory through factual research.

Pieces in the exhibition will touch upon topics as broad as the symbolic value placed on animals’ relationships to polytheistic gods and goddesses; the discovery of DNA —which has been defined by patriarchal structures in the scientific community and sullied by crass statements made by its figurehead, James Watson; and the gene-editing technology CRISPR – which has enabled scientists to genetically modify animals without using conventional breeding practices. Alessandra’s clarity of thought and progressive use of materials enable her to articulate connections between subjects as complex as these with a poetic immediacy that engages and rewards deeper investigation.