Sculptor Julia Belova (born 1991) has created an installation especially conceived for the space of the Dominican Church in Krems. The Russian-born artist examines the architecture and history of the secularized building in a thrilling way. She creates a monumental sculpture exploring the interconnections between traditional craftsmanship, modern materials, and feminist and queer perspectives.

Materiality occupies an important role in Julia Belova’s art. She repeatedly plays with contrasts in her precise handing of the materials used. For her new installation, the artist works with iron for the first time. In an intensive, experimental process, she explores the material, which has originally “masculine” connotations, contrasting it with the delicate, “feminine” materials of porcelain and wax that dominate Belova’s previous work. 

Julia Belova’s work is characterized by a sensual yet powerful visual language that combines elements of traditional European art history, especially from the Baroque period, with queer, feminist concepts. Belova addresses, among other things, a hostility toward pleasure in Christian teachings. She is thus responding to the modern understanding of sexuality, gender roles, and physicality. Her candlesticks, such as those shown in the exhibition 7 Deadly Sins at the Kunsthalle Krems (2023/24), reflect a queer, baroque aesthetic. This style has become Belova’s trademark.

Julia Belova’s exhibition represents a new step in her artistic development. Her explorations of the materials of iron and porcelain, her reflections on the interaction between space and artwork, and the thematic focus on questions of sexuality, religion, and materiality open up new perspectives on contemporary sculpture.

Curator: Andreas Hoffer