BARBARA WILDENBOER | Articulations

BARBARA WILDENBOER 

Articulations

15 March – 05 April 2025 | Everard Read Franschhoek

Everard Read Franschhoek is excited to present Barbara Wildenboer's upcoming solo exhibition, Articulations. 

To request the catalogue please click HERE

Opening reception: Saturday 15^th of March @ 11AM

Articulations consists of a pictorial ‘script’ that explores the reciprocal and sensuous ties between language and nature. Formally, the work recalls earlier pieces with shapes referencing Gordian knots and infinity loops, but instead of incorporating actual text, the narrative is now merely intimated.

Using motifs of the tree and the serpent—both pervasive mythological and religious symbols—the work creates new forms suggesting a perpetual cycle of self-recreation. It hints at a primordial essence that persists in the unconscious despite the passage of time and rigid contemporary narratives.

The wood, porcelain, and paper works speak of stories passed down through oral traditions and symbols communicated over centuries across languages and cultures. The dynamic shapes—spirals, circles, crescents, horns, and serpentine forms—not only echo the shapes of writing but also reflect patterns of cultural transmission, from the evolution of the serpent myth to artefacts that combine art, crafts, play, storytelling, and mathematical reasoning, such as String Figures and the spindle whorl.

By drawing connections between comparative mythology, linguistics, and cultural anthropology, the work reflects on the delicate intertwining and symbiosis between language, nature, and storytelling.

EVERARD READ FRANSCHHOEK - 20 Huguenot Road
Franschhoek, 7690
South Africa
+27 21 876 2446 l fgallery@everard.co.za

Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday 09:30 - 17:00
Please contact us to make an appointment outside of these hours.