Fairy Tales, Monsters and the
Genetic Imagination

September 29, 2012 - January 2, 2013

Fairy Tales, Monsters and the Genetic Imagination is an exhibition of works by contemporary artists who are inspired by the fantastic stories and characters of myths, fairy tales and science fiction in which the boundaries between human and animal are blurred.

Whether in mythology, fairy tales, or science fiction, these stories and their wondrous characters are often thought of as children's entertainment. But as the artists in this exhibition demonstrate, while the novelty of invented creatures makes them delightful or frightening, they also have a serious dimension; they can cause us to reconsider our notions of what it means to be human. This takes on a new immediacy today, when scientists are able to conceive new species by mixing and matching existing genetic material.

For the artists in this exhibition, the hybrid body- whether imagined or potentially real- expresses hidden desires, ancient fears, the intrigue of transformation and the wonderful irrationality of life's paradoxes. Fairy Tales, Monsters and the Genetic Imagination includes approximately 60 paintings, photographs, sculptures and video works by contemporary artists from Canada and around the world, including David Altmejd, the Chapman Brothers, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Patricia Piccinini and Cindy Sherman.

This exhibition is organized by The Frist Centerfor the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN









Credit information

• Paula Rego, Nursery Rhymes: Little Miss Muffett III, 1989, Marlborough Graphics, New York. Image courtesy of the artist and Marlborough Fine Art, London Ltd.
• Yinka Shonibare, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (America), 2008, Private Collection