Untitled (Human Mask), 2014 (film still) © Pierre Huyghe, Courtesy the artist, Hauser & Wirth, London

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao will premiere in Spain Pierre Huyghe’s Untitled (Human Mask) (2014). This is the 10th piece presented in the Film & Video Gallery since it opened in 2014 as a showcase for video art, video installations, and the moving image.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pierre Huyghe (b. Paris, 1962) conceived “Untitled (Human Mask)” in 2014 after learning about two trained monkeys who served and entertained patrons at a traditional sake house in Japan. Huyghe’s film is shot in a location ravaged by the recent tsunami and ensuing nuclear disaster at Fukushima. A singular inhabitant wanders through a gloomy interior wearing a traditional Japanese theater mask, a woman’s wig, a white shirt, and a dress resembling a school uniform.

We soon realize it is a monkey, although the creature’s attentive, anxious attitude and body language suggest an ambiguous humanity. Through this piece, Huyghe reflects on the paradox of observing animal behavior in a surreal setting with the intention of exploring reality-in other words, he reflects on the human condition.

Pierre Huyghe: Untitled (Human Mask)
Dates: March 30th – July 16th, 2017
Open: 10:00 – 20:00 (Closed Monday)
Place: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Address: Avenida Abandoibarra, 2 48009 Bilbao
Tel: +34 944 359 008
https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus