New Viewings #12

Curated by Barbara Thumm

Bjørn Melhus

Bjørn Melhus, *1966 in Kirchheim unter Teck,
lives and works in Berlin

In “I do not belong in this House”, the figure who seemed to dwell behind the living room wall in “I’m not the Enemy” actually appears.

This man, covered entirely in hair and warming himself at the fire, appears to have been inspired by the Grimm’s fairy tale “The Bear Skinner”.

In this story, a homeless soldier makes a pact with the devil, who tells him that for seven years he must not wash himself or cut his hair, and wear only a shaggy bear pelt. Rejected by society, he survives only with the help of the devil, whose financial support finally enables his resocialization.

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