When I first heard about Heide Hatry and her projects, I was excited. She was daring and controversial, and I’d heard all about her meat media and her rusted clothing. Her opening was on a Tuesday evening, and I headed to the ultracool artist’s space Undercurrent Projects on the Lower East Side to see it all for myself.

 

The space was packed. There were three rooms–one of which had been completely constructed by the artist as an exhibit, titled Rust Room. The other two rooms sandwiched it and showcased Hatry’s past work in simple, graceful frames.

 

The exhibit was comprised of a video projected on the wall of the first room, showing Hatry’s process of covering a room completely in pig flesh. There were photographs of her series Skin, her experimentation with untreated pigskin. In the back room, there were photographs of both her Heads and Tales project and her Not a Rose project. The former is a collaboration between Hatry and female writers–Hatry created mannequins out of pig meat, while the writers created stories about them, or vice versa. Not a Rose is a project where Hatry created beautiful, delicate flowers out of the offal of various animals and photographed them outdoors.

Both rooms were curated carefully to demonstrate and highlight the breadth of her work. However, the crown jewel of the exhibit was most certainly Rust Room. Again, the room itself didn’t exist in the space, so Hatry had to construct it herself. Inside the room was completely rusted. Everything. From the walls to the chair to the candelabras to the shelves to the knickknacks in the shelves. It was completely darkened, except for candles. It was an immersive and breathtaking experience, and Hatry’s painstaking care is evident everywhere. I was able to briefly discuss it with her, and told her how unsettling it was, and how it made me feel like I was a child, being punished in some heinous and arcane way. I was also able to talk to her about the power of creating rooms as art; Hatry was very receptive and willing to talk to me about it all, which was very much appreciated.

Hatry is truly a brave, one-of-a-kind artist. I’ve never encountered anyone quite like her, and I found her both inspiring and accessible, which are two of the best traits possible in an artist. I feel lucky to have been able to go to the opening, and I’m truly excited for what comes next!

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