ELLEN VON UNWERTH & GHISLAIN DUSSART |Symbiosis 27. February 2025 - 19. April 2025

We are delighted to unveil SYMBIOSE, an exhibition that sets the works of Ellen von Unwerth and Guislain Dussart in dialogue. Both artists explore the mise-en-scène of the body and its resonance within the charged interplay of desire, power and aesthetics – yet their approaches diverge entirely. Ellen von Unwerth revels in female self-empowerment, celebrating the delight of self-presentation, while Guislain Dussart moves fluidly between surreal eroticism, sacred iconography and art historical allusions, conjuring an ethereal world in which his models appear lost in reverie. The exhibition unites two artistic perspectives that oscillate between seduction and provocation, between playfulness and solemnity – an encounter that invites us to rediscover eroticism as a language of art.
Ellen von Unwerth is renowned for her iconic photographs, which create a mise-en-scène of femininity in a bold, playful and often exaggerated aesthetic. Her images spin tales of seduction, desire and a fearless subversion of societal expectations. Her protagonists are never passive objects of desire, but self-possessed, commanding figures, fully aware of their own power. Von Unwerth’s photographs traverse a spectrum of worlds, from decadent boudoirs to erotic masquerades and exquisitely staged BDSM fantasies. She imbues her subjects with a sense of playful exuberance, yet her message remains unequivocal: eroticism is never passive, but a force of power and self-determination.
 
At first glance, Ghislain Dussart’s photographs seem almost trivial, like illustrations of a long forgotten aesthetic. Yet, upon closer inspection, a deeper layer emerges. His models – crucified, bound, or woven into collage-like compositions – seem to hover weightlessly above the image surface. Renowned for his collaborations with Brigitte Bardot and other icons of the Parisian jet set, Dussart draws us into a world of glamour, intrigue and understated sensuality. His works embody the effortless charm of French culture, all the while toying with the gaze of the voyeur. His images are intimate studies, charged with an almost tangible tension between the public persona of his icons and their most concealed, fleeting moments.
Bringing together Ellen von Unwerth and Ghislain Dussart in a single exhibition creates a compelling visual dialogue on the theme of eroticism. While Ellen von Unwerth’s photography revels in the joy of self-staging and places female desire centre stage, Ghislain Dussart’s works probe the darker dimensions of power and sexuality.