One of RVA’s most well known muralists, Mickael Broth, wants visitors to “consider their own understandings of conflict, beauty, and history” in his upcoming exhibition at Black Iris, opening next week.
The show is inspired by Germany’s invasion of Verdun, France in 1916. The battle would “become one of the defining battles of the First World War, as well as a truly devastating event for the landscape, the soldiers who served in the trenches, and the soul of humanity,” Broth said.
“La Voie Sacree”, the show’s namesake, was the name of the sole supply line France had in their preservation efforts in Verdun. In English, it translates to “the sacred way”.
The work in the show is mainly visually abstract, but the content’s inspiration is drawn from concrete first-hand accounts from those who experienced this battle that happened exactly a century ago this year.
“As the viewer ventures further into the gallery, they are pulled into the work itself, confronting the way in which war and violence is perceived and reinterpreted over time,” Broth said.
Pieces in the gallery at first glance come off as bright, non-pictorial collages, but a closer look reveals that the artworks contain scenes of buildings blasted apart, artillery howling through the air, and gas clouds creeping through ravines.
Shell craters are also a symbol in Broth’s latest work guised as vibrantly patterned paintings composed of multiple polygonal panels.”
Aside from paintings and collages, the upcoming exhibition will also feature sculptures and installation pieces.
These physical works aim to “draw a clear line between the abstraction of the two-dimensional work and the chaotic scenes they are drawn from,” according to Broth.
This solo show is Broth’s first since 2014.
“La Voie Sacree” opens Feb. 4 at Black Iris on 321 Broad from 7-9 pm. After this date, the works will not be showcased to the public again until the first Friday in March, except by appointment.
To see other works by Mickael Broth you can see his murals painted across various buildings around town. Check out some of his latest work here.
