THE VIOLENCE OF ABSENCE

the violence of absence, a solo exhibitition by Steven Cohen, his first in Cape Town since 2012.

Comprising video and a selection of the artist’s self-portraits in tape, the violence of absence foregrounds the fundamental concerns of Cohen’s three-decade long performance practice: embodiment, loss, identity, and the dialectic between history and intimacy.

In their inception, the self-portraits were created in the aftermath of his performances, the adhesive tape acting as a tool to remove the adornment and makeup worn by the artist as he brings works such as Boudoir and Put your heart under your feet… and walk! to Elu.

At the time, he wrote:

‘I apply my makeup for hours with a pathological dose of patience and a plethora of glue. The breakdown of it this way is sudden and full of sensation. Removing the makeup leaves me feeling pulled and slapped and plucked and stripped. After the ritual of de-facing my cosmetically enhanced performance self, I feel gently flayed and beyond fragile … as naked as the bare bones of a de-powdered butterfly wing. It is strange to make a work by unmaking one.’

The opening takes place this Saturday, 23 Aug 2025 from 10am – 1pm, alongside solo exhibitions by Moshekwa Langa and Ian Grose.