A different kind of furs

Istituto Svizzero presents the first retrospective in Italy on renowned painter Klodin Erb. Encompassing almost 90 works, some of which specifically produced for the exhibition, A different kind of furs celebrates one of the most influential current Swiss artists. Presenting large-scale paintings, collages, sculptures, textiles, and video works dated between 1999 and 2023, the exhibition traces Klodin Erbs’ artistic practice through a non-chronological perspective but rather exploring visual connections between all works. Since the late ’90s, Klodin Erb’s practice revolves around the medium of painting in a free and experimental form, combining current and timeless topics to generate playful and fantastic worlds, often questioning definitions of gender and identity. Her practice also emerges outside the canvases and explores the boundaries of painting through different formats and materials. For this show, the artist particularly reflects on the concept of fur and its associations. In a lively and ironic way, she uses artificial furs sewn onto canvases, painted furs, and wigs to offer a reflection on (stereotyped) forms of gender identities but also as symbols that break these very norms. Influenced by popular and web culture as well as art history, Klodin Erb’s A different kind of furs provides an unprecedent and in-depth overview on the artist’s vivid universe.