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Solo exhibition

Monuments

Simon Berger

15 November – 28 December 2024

UNDERDOGS GALLERY
Rua Fernando Palha, Armazém 56 – Lisbon, Portugal

Monuments are built to endure for generations, if not forever. Yet even the most resilient are vulnerable to human action, to losing their symbolic value, or to collapsing. By using glass as his primary material, Swiss artist Simon Berger subverts the idea of monuments crafted from stone or concrete. In his hands, glass becomes an ephemeral memorial. Breaks, cracks, and fissures, on the one hand, show the inherent fragility of this material; on the other, they reveal vulnerability and resilience — the defining forces in his work.

In this series created especially for Underdogs, Simon Berger pays tribute to some of the most iconic figures in architectural history. These are some of the faces behind the most emblematic structures of our era. Each in their own way, these architects have created contemporary monuments that have revolutionized the way we interact with the space around us, impacting both our present and our future. Passionate about architecture, Berger incorporates many concepts from this discipline into his artistic expression, such as spatial perception, light as a creative tool, and an innovative exploration of materials.

The portraits were etched in glass blocks, a type of construction material widely used in buildings that surrounded Berger in his childhood. The artist is internationally known for creating images through his refined technique of hammering calculated cracks into glass. In this exhibition, Berger continues to explore the creative energy of destruction; but he has replaced the hammer with sandblasting machines — essential tools in construction sites.

Combining cultural heritage with personal stories, tradition with innovation, transparency and opacity, Simon Berger evokes reflections on memory, permanence, and human action.

Press Release