Jimmie Durham
© M HKA
Jimmie Durham made *Gilgamesh* for Antwerp 93 – European Capital of Culture. On that occasion, several artists were asked to produce a work with 'the city' as subject. Durham's starting point was the ancient epic of Gilgamesh, the mighty king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk. He retells a part of the story in the [text](http://ensembles.mhka.be/items/3158) which he wrote to present alongside the sculpture. For Durham, Gilgamesh is a symbol of city, culture and civilization - the sculpture summarizes various aspects of this story. The materials, wood and plastic, stand for nature and culture. The impressive door symbolizes the opening to the city, but both lock and door handle are on the wrong side. In his work, the artist shows an opening, a possibility for symbiosis between nature and culture, but also the vulnerable balance between the two.
