Claudia Rogge

The theme of the new work cycle of Claudia Rogge is infiniteness.

The artistís large formats have been inspired by Danteís ì Divine Comedyî , and represent the defined classic netherworlds, namely Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso.

At first sight, these photographic works appear to recreate the respective baroque paintings; however, when taking a closer
look, we discover disturbing details, such as elements of sodomy and perversion. Thus, as regards content, these places are almost ironically questioned, when formally they consciously follow the religious roots of western visual arts.

At the same time, in both form and content, they raise contemporary questions; formally they raise the question of the purpose and ability of elegiac images without the religious use of that time, whereas with regard to content they question our faith in a western society which becomes increasingly secularized.

A society which, on the other hand, is being confronted with religiously motivated terror. What changes do we experience in the circulating phantasm of belief, moral, love, lust, violence and perversion? With her new series, Claudia Rogge questions the duality between long standing goodness and evil, as well as the relevancy of our acts not just in this world, but also for a possible netherworld.

Like a puppeteer the artist takes over the role of the demiurge, allowing the origination of a world, and enriching it with elements which clearly point to the here and now and the true places of a conceivable hell or of an imaginable paradise.