Lost Heroines: Works by Beat Kuert

Beat Kuert’s background as a filmmaker is strongly evident in his multi-layered imagery. He presents his anima in different settings, where her changing persona of a fearless warrior goddess, a kinky lover, and a suffering woman are central to his hopes and fears. He worships his heroine, who feeds his desire to delve into her realm as an accomplice and an observer.

The two women, in "To see her suffer caused so much pain" and "A fire that slowly fades" recall the tragic heroines of the XIX century, the ethereal and dark muses who inspired the late Romantics and the Pre-Raphaelites, transfigured in memory and resigned to their fate.

The characters Kuert creates and interacts with in his works are often destructive, decadent and tormented. There is a threatening fate hanging over them, or they are doomed to a tragic ending. These women are aware of their destiny, just as the artist is aware of it: each character transcends its singularity and becomes a symbol of all humanity.

The atmosphere is saturated with a subtle sense of anguish and sensual melancholy. The peculiar use of colour, and the suffused smoke-like cloud the figures emerge from, reveal a dynamism which is a reflection of their inner world of emotions. Creating a visual representation of the character's emotional state is a constant in Kuert's work, who has always shown a strong tendency to introspection.

Kuert has shown, since his cinematic debut in the 1970s, a continuous desire to experiment with different mediums. Among the recurring themes of his work are the continuous becoming, also linked to Kuert's interest in oriental philosophies, mythology, existential questions and human emotions.

Over the past 20 years, Beat Kuert has exhibited in many international venues such as IX New Florence Biennale, Inter Art Gallery in Beijing, M&C Saatchi in Shanghai and Gallery WA in Seoul. More recently, his installation "Good Morning Darkness" was exhibited in the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 and the Maimeri Foundation presented his solo show at the "MAC" Milan in 2018.