The Swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg (b. 1978) is best known for her animated films. These may seem sweet and innocuous on first acquaintance, but in her work Djurberg addresses themes such as obsession, power, pleasure, desire and violence. In her films she creates animated, surrealistic 'fables'. Her world involves clichéd fairytales that derail into a battleground filled with death, sex and violence. In 'Snakes knows it's Yoga', Djurberg explores the fear of death. In one of the films a naked young woman plays the lead role, going on an ecstatic dance with a colourful frog. She tries to lick the poisonous frog in order to reach higher spheres, like a shamanistic ritual. In another film a snake hypnotises a skinny man who is meditating, eventually overpowers this yogi and tears him apart.
Nathalie Djurberg
Music by Hans Berg
Snakes knows it's Yoga
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
5 March – 1 May 2011
