The Mask Makers

Marcel Dzama curated the booth for the gallery's second participation in Independent Brussels, which he titled "The Mask Makers." Dzama presented works from the gallery's roster of artists and beyond that relate to the theme of the mask, a prevalent motif within Dzama's own practice that draws on his interest in Surrealist iconography. First appearing as a figurative element in his works on paper in the mid-1990s, and since incorporated into his large-scale drawings, paintings, and films, masks were most recently featured in the artist's critically-acclaimed stage and costume design for the New York City Ballet's The Most Incredible Thing in 2016, a performance choreographed by Justin Peck and based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale.

Dzama created a self-contained environment featuring both historical and new works across several genres, including some made specifically for the space. In addition to his own works, there were contributions by gallery artists Mamma Andersson, R. Crumb, Sherrie Levine, Jockum Nordström, Raymond Pettibon, Lisa Yuskavage and Jordan Wolfson, and works by David Altmejd, Peter Doig, James Ensor, Marilyn Minter, Cindy Sherman, Rose Wylie, and others.

Dzama notes on the theme for the booth: "Be what you want to be, the mask is freedom, anonymity, a new identity or gender, and bridging us to the afterlife."

Born in 1974 in Winnipeg, Canada, Marcel Dzama lives in Brooklyn, New York. Since joining David Zwirner in 1998, he has had eight solo exhibitions at the gallery in New York and London, and two exhibitions dedicated to his collaborations with Raymond Pettibon.