2012
ED. /50
200 X 55 CM
ARCHIVAL PIGMENT INKS ON 308 GSM COTTON RAG
 
Wrapped in details from Tiepolo's Allegory of the Planets and Continents, the grand Rococo composition is meticulously integrated with the weapon's form, dissolving the boundary between ornament and instrument of violence. Even the grenade itself bears the figure of Apollo - a deity celebrated as both healer and destroyer. In Greek mythology, Apollo was invoked to protect against epidemics, yet he was equally capable of unleashing plague and sudden death through his arrows. By placing this dualistic figure at the heart of the weapon, Gjoen underscores the enduring tension between creation and destruction, beauty and brutality, reminding us that the same forces capable of preserving life have often been wielded to extinguish it.