URBAN THEATRE
Public Installation 

Ventana Project, Alt-Tempelhof U-bahn Station, Berlin
19.06 - 08.07.24  

Instalation views: Marcus Nelson, Urban Theatre, 2024, Ventana Project, Berlin. Courtesy: the artist; photograph: Paula Vidal 

Drawing inspiration from the writings of Antonin Artaud, Urban Theatre is an new installation by Marcus Nelson, exploring themes of physical performance, violence and the act of spectatorship. Situated in the U-Bahn station at Alt Templehof, Nelson uses the harsh urban environment as a backdrop to explore the brutality of life and the bleak structures that encase us, opening a dialogue around our collective voyeurism of other’s pain.

As an extension to his painting practice, papier-mâché is utilised to cast the artists body, a medium historically associated with mask making and puppetry. Caught like a caged animal in a submissive position, the installation provides a stage for Nelson’s eerie visions to perform, offering a window for the passersby to watch, or simply ignore.