Adrian Ghenie: The Battle Between Carnival and Feast

Particularly since his spectacular exhibition in the Romanian Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, Ghenie (born 1977) has been celebrated as one of the most interesting and unconventional painters of his generation. The history of the "century of humiliation" (as he refers to the 20th century), and its perpetrators and victims, are the predominant sources for his collage-like compositions. These subjects are juxtaposed with heroes such as Van Gogh and Darwin, as well as depictions of himself.