Anna Uddenberg: Useless SacrificeOnline film premiereDecember 14th, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. MST, via Black Cube’s YouTube ChannelFree, registration not required
Black Cube is thrilled to announce the debut of Useless Sacrifice, a short film created by renowned international Berlin-based Swedish artist Anna Uddenberg. The film, produced in collaboration with co-director Thyago Sainte, marks not only the culmination of the artist’s fellowship with Black Cube, but also her inaugural foray into the world of film, and her first film premiere in the United States.
Known for her hypersexualized sculptures of female figures, Uddenberg has long been intrigued by the concept of performed authenticity. Her work delves into the intersection of various forms of fetishism, from BDSM and other sexual expressions, to Instagram influencers and the insidious grip of capitalist commodification.
Set within the dual settings of her recent exhibitions at Meredith Rosen Gallery in New York City and Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin, Useless Sacrifice extends these investigations into the medium of film, using Uddenberg’s sculptures as uncanny objects enacted upon by rigidly professional women and young men in adult diapers. In the film, both gallery settings are activated with a performative narrative that positions the female protagonist in a place of authority—confronting and subverting gender normativity, while simultaneously inviting contemplation on power dynamics, agency, and the pervasive influence of aspiration culture.
Useless Sacrifice has a 20-minute runtime and will premiere online via Black Cube’s YouTube channel, followed by a pre-recorded interview with the artist.
The film was co-commissioned by Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum, The Perimeter, and Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler.