Francis Alÿs - Fabiola at the National Portrait Gallery

Collection seems to be a current theme in contemporary art. Objects in cabinets and vitrines or dumped on the floor of an exhibition space could be considered examples of such a trend: Mark Dion's Tate Thames Dig, Joseph Beuys vitrines and Richard Long's Heaven and Earth at tate Britain. It is also a trend that I find extremely unnerving as it rarely achieves a meaningful or substantial effect.

With a very different and unique collection-themed piece, Francis Alÿs manages to successfully infuse a sense of awe in the viewer of his Fabiola piece, an agglomeration of portraits of a Christian saint known as Fabiola, all of which seem to be derived from a now lost nineteen century painting. The portraits were gathered over a period of fifteen years by the artist, who bought them in flea markets and antique shops all over the world.

When one walks into the exhibition space, an uneasiness creeps up: a feeling of impossible similarity, of reproduction, of cloning... one feels trapped in a room of deep turquoise walls with copy upon copy of the same portrait. On closer examination however, one can see the differences in the portraits as well as notice the wealth of skill sets on display.

Visit the National Portrait Gallery for this piece if you can as I am sure it will leave a durable impression on you.

Further info
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Fabiola at the National Portrait Gallery
Until 20 September 2009

National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE
Open Daily 10am-6pm
Open until 9pm Thursday and Friday