38. 38AR WIM DELVOYE (born 1965) Suppo CCW (scale model 1:26)) 2011 Gilded silver Unique piece Verguld zilver Uniek stuk Gilded silver Unique piece 6 x 49 cm 35.5 x 60 x 30 cm (with globe and base) Provenance / Herkomst Acquired directly from the artist by the current owner Private collection / privécollectie, France A certificate from the artist will be given to the buyer Lofty cross vaults, sharp pointed arches, and towering spires: in Gothic architecture, the earthbound stretches up to the heavens. It was no coincidence that, in late medieval times, this style was used mainly in churches. The Gothic aesthetic, however, has also made its way into the Gothic subculture, which celebrates the pagan and somewhat darker side of life. This dual meaning has characterised the Gothic style for centuries. Wim Delvoye's 'Gothic' work unites both facets of the Gothic. His radiant stained glass windows depict a danse macabre. In Suppo, he twists the elongated forms of church architecture almost beyond recognition. At the same time, Delvoye's 'Gothic' is contemporary: he distorts the crucifix into a double helix, the shape that symbolises human DNA.