The exhibition Salome reflects on figurations of John the Baptist’s death and the way they have evolved over centuries. From medieval painting and sculpture to recent theatre and cinema, the story has served as a matrix for the negotiation of contemporary ideas about religion, gender and sexual morality.
    The medieval wooden sculpture on display, part of the collection of the Westfälischer Kunstverein, is an example of a rich tradition figuring the prophet’s head isolated on a platter.
    Glossolalia is a nine meter long porcelain sculpture based on casts of a male neck. Glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, is the act of speaking a language that one has not previously learned, which in biblical stories was a sign of a divine gift.
    The video installation Dance of the Seven Veils is a montage of seven different movies from the 20th century that feature Salome’s dance in front of King Herod.

Curated by Jenni Henke and Marie Meeth at the Westfälischer Kunstverein.