Mind Vice

Maria Thurn und Taxis' exhibition "Mind Vice" at Esther Verhaeghe, Brussels, presents works exploring philosophical themes through painting, drawing, collage, and video. The artist is interested in the tensions that define existence, particularly the threshold between pleasure and pain in everyday life, and the illusions created to find meaning.

These tensions are conveyed through imagery, mark-making, color, texture, and juxtaposition. Drawing inspiration from 17th-century still life and its analogy to the journey between life and expiry, Thurn und Taxis incorporates flora, fauna, and fungi imagery. The works utilize various media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, paper, fabric, and pressed flowers, forming a personal cornucopia of the world.