Nugae
Kunsthaus Hamburg, Germany
“Nugae” is a term by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c. 84 BC– c. 54 BC), a latin poet of the Republican period. He was a spoiled rich hipster kid coming from a leading equestrian family of Verona. He lived a lazy, sumptuous life in the luxury of inherited money, enjoying all kinds of men, women, and drugs. He was not a zoon politicon at all, following the philosophy of Epicurus.
The purpose of philosophy (and life) to Catullus was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by ataraxia—peace and freedom from fear—and aponia—the absence of pain—and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. So Catullus happily doped around in his luxury villa, hanging out with his hipster entourage. Cicero hatefully called them the neoteroi—the new poets. Indeed, they did some new stuff. Catullus, for his part, hated the big epics and called his little poems nugae. Nugae are small honed, often funny poems on both mythological events and private interests and stories. Like Láthe biósas: “Live hidden/ Live secretely. Back to privacy, I’d say.”
☐ Nugae/back to privacy, 2013, excerpt from catalogue
INGREDIENTS
- Drunk Argos
- Sowing Dragon Teeth (Hercules Superboy)
- Rod of Asclepius
- Adilette
- Untote
- Das Ri
- Phaeton’s chariot
- Plate
- Sword
- Und darum hängen die Sternzeichen schief
- Untitled
- These Kids Are Not Okay/Design solves problems (shards)
- Buchdruck
- Das Urteil des Paris
- Untitled
- Fitnessklotz
- Untote II
- Pulen
- Brunnen (für F.)
- o. T. (Platzdeckchen)
- o. T. 1
- o. T. 2
- Garage
- Sonnenuhr
- Käsebrot
- Sonnenuhr
- Käsebrot II
- Facebook- Schal
- Scherben
- Westlake (Reissack)
NUGAE
2012/13, various individual works and materials, 5 × 6 × 7 m
Installation view Kunsthaus Hamburg
Drunk Argos
2009, ceramics, teddy bear eyes, glass, 60 × 15 cm
Das Urteil des Paris
2012, ink, pencil and colored pencil on paper, 20 × 30 cm
These Kids Are Not Okay/ Design solves problems (shards)
2012, adhesive tape on glass, 20 cm × 26 cm
Sowing Dragon Teeth (Hercules Superboy)
2012, stones, color, dimensions variable
Fitnessklotz 2
2012, stone, graphite, foam, diameter 20 cm
Untote
2012, watercolor,
felt and adhesive tape
on paper, 29 × 21 cm
Phaeton’s chariot
2012, stone, metal, mirror, wire,
40 × 160 × 45 cm
Untitled
2012, tape and acrylics on paper, 20 × 30 cm
Adilette
2012, stone, acrylics, plaster, tape, 20 × 38 cm
(20) Pulen
2012, tape and plastic on cardboard, 20 × 24.5 × 12 cm
(21) o. T.
2011, ready made plastic box, 15 × 18 × 8cm
(22) Brunnen (für F.)
2012, acrylic paint on cardboard, 62 × 24.5 cm
(23) Obstkorb
2013, acrylic paint and cardboard on paper, 20 × 30 cm
(24) o. T. (Platzdeckchen)
2013, acrylic paint and cardboard on paper, 20 × 30 cm
(25) o. T. 1
2013, chalk on doormat, 30 × 40 cm
(26) Garage
2011, cardboard on paper, 62 × 24.5 cm
(27) o. T. 2
2013, watercolor on paper, 20 × 30 cm
Untitled
2012, matches and acrylics on sanding paper, 25 × 30 cm,
Untitled
2012, acrylics, pipe cleaners and tape on felt,
24.5 × 33.5 cm
Buchdruck
2012, felt pen on foam, 20 × 30 cm
Plate
2012, acrylics and
wood on ceramics,
12 cm diameter
Untote II
2012, watercolor on paper, 29 × 21 cm
Sword
2012, marble and cardboard on foam rubber, 20 × 30 cm
Das Ri
2010/12, plastic and acrylics on wood,
10 × 15 cm
Rod of Asclepius
2012, pipe cleaner and metal, length 20 cm
Und darum hängen die Sternzeichen schief 2012, graphite, adhesive tape and colored pencil on paper with plastic, 59.5 × 146 cm