Wiebke Siem
Wiebke Siem’s massive carpet beater, which is suspended over an Indian rug, matching it for sheer size, robs the decorative object of its almost sacred aura, reducing it instead to its practical and utilitarian dimension. In doing so, Siem makes direct reference to a series of photographs by Hans Bellmer in which the shadow of this object, which is common in German homes, dwells alongside various ‘dolls’, while also prompting an association with the shadow in the films of Murnau, or with other famous carpets, such as the one found in Freud’s study. Yet it mainly refers to the place of women in the home, calling roles, emotions and archetypes into question.