Ondine

“The legend of the escaped water creature had been passed down for generations, it was said to live in the depths of the lake, only appearing at night to children. One spring two of the village kids worked tirelessly crafting a fishing hook from metal and bones. They waited patiently by the shore until they saw movement in the water. With quick reflexes, they caught the creature and held it tightly in their grasp. As they woke up the next morning to check on their catch, they discovered that the creature had vanished without a trace, leaving behind nothing but a strange strand of wobbly black hair on bone-like matter. Since then, the locals call the remains of the water creature Ondine, believing they have there the remains of a naiad.”

For her exhibition at the Kunsthalle Marcel Duchamp, Una Szeemann invites us to revisit the notion of myth and fiction. In the manner of an ethnographic museum, the KMD offers to see its content from ev- ery angle without being able to touch it. From what we see to what we know, there will always remain a part of mystery.

Rubber, bones 90 x 10 x 10 cm / Metal hook, leather, bone 100 x 5 x 2 cm