Camden Arts Centre

Serena Korda

08 Mar - 05 May 2013

Installation view of Serena Korda 'Aping the Beast' at Camden Arts Centre, 2013. Photo: Andy Keate © Camden Arts Centre
SERENA KORDA
Aping the Beast
8 March 2013 - 5 May 2013

British artist Serena Korda has produced an ambitious, theatrical rendering of animal symbolism and folklore in Aping the Beast. The central spectacle is a towering monster puppet handmade in latex, reminiscent of early B-movies such as Godzilla or The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Within all her work Korda is interested in the way secular beliefs and superstitions are channelled through images in popular culture.

Two new films star symbolic mystical creatures - a feline psychic who reveals his remote healing powers and a bristling tarantula which parades alongside dancers and musicians taking part in a cult-like ritual in a nondescript village hall. These works and a series of performances involving the monster expand upon ideas of the spirit and fears of the unknown which are confronted through imitation, spectacle, ritual and humour.