Book Synopsis

Dana Meyer's South Pacific Expedition is a fascinating and at the same time unsettling art project that blurs the boundaries between authenticity and fiction, providing a fascinating insight into the world of entomological collecting. Text in English and German.

Dana Meyer's South Pacific Expedition provides a fascinating insight into the world of entomological collecting, driven by the human urge for discovery and adventure. Featuring numerous illustrations and 12 letters, this book tells not only of the passion of an insect collector but also of a perilous journey to the South Seas at the turn of the century.

Published in this form for the first time, this collection is a fascinating and at the same time unsettling art project that blurs the boundaries between authenticity and fiction. The finely crafted sculptures are cold-formed from thin sheet steel and presented in preserving jars. The creatures appear deceptively real and at the same time their strange appearance is astonishing.

Meyer's South Pacific Expedition offers the viewer the opportunity to imagine an exploration expedition 100 years ago and at the same time this series of works defies exact classification; the boundaries between nature, literature and art, reality and fantasy become blurred.

Text in English and German.

About the Author

Dana Meyer's (*1982) sculptures possess a timeless sovereignty. Her practice is sophisticated and bold, because without preparations or models she forges her sculptures freehandedly from steel. Her sculptural works are full of tension, powerful, and dynamic. Meyer exclusively depicts animals and humans, individually, in groups, sometimes fragmented, yet always strong in their statement, both realist and expressive.