Exhibition - "Metamorfosis" - La Casa Encendida

Last week I was browsing the website meetup.com to try and find any groups I might like to join. I found a recently created one for "mujeres creativas" in Madrid and thought I'd check them out. The first "meetup" was set to be at La Casa Encendida which is a really interesting space designed to be used for "educational purposes"; there are numerous workshops, talks and events taking place all throughout the year. The exhibition we were going to see was called "Metamorfosis: Visiones Fantásticas de Starewitch, Svankmajer y los Hermanos Quay". I'd read online that it was based on the work of early stop motion animators who had gone on to be major influences for people such as Tim Burton. Now anything to do with Tim Burton has got to be interesting right?

I arrived and met Aurora (the group's founder) and Andrea at reception. Admittedly three is quite a small number of people for a "group" but as I said this was only their second meetup. They were both really lovely and welcoming; asking me all about what I was doing here in Madrid as we headed into the gallery.

The first room was filled with Vladislav Starewitch's work and tools. Starewitch was a russian film maker who specialised in stop-motion animation using beautifully intricate animal puppets and insects. He wanted to film live insects but found that they died under the hot studio lights. He discovered that by sticking wire legs onto the dead insects' carapaces he could make fully articulated insect puppets! (slightly gruesome it's true but this was a running theme throughout the exhibition).

 

Together with Starewitch's work was that of Percy Smith a british naturalist and documentary film maker famous for his films showcasing the strength and beauty of flies. I tried not to get too excited at this point but history and insects people!! History and insects!!

The Quay Brothers or Brothers Quay are a pair of identical twin brothers from America who work together on animated films. These often contain doll puppets in various states of destruction and a dark and moody atmosphere. They're most famous for their film "The Street of Crocodiles" which is based on a novel of the same name by the polish author Bruno Schulz. I have to say some of their puppets and ideas are interesting but I don't think they're really my cup of tea.

The last couple of galleries  were devoted to the sculptures of Jan Svankmajer. These I really did not like at all. He had used bones, shells and body parts from hundreds of different animals to create strange hybrid creatures. This is quite an interesting idea in itself but he always placed them in really suggestive positions and seemed to be trying to shock. This got tedious but meant that when we walked into the room full of condom sculptures and a giant wooden masturbating machine we were prepared...

 

I definitely enjoyed this exhibition as it was unlike anything I've ever seen before but the weird and wonderful was often interspersed with the downright odd. If you're in Madrid and feel the need for some weirdness then head on over!

A short film advertising the exhibition I found on YouTube:

Metamorfosis is on until January 2015 and is being held at La Casa Encendida, Ronda de Valencia, 2