Francis Alÿs (Belgian, 1959) Study for Gibraltar - 2006 Oil and pencil on tracing paper 34,5 x 28 cm Title lower right Signature and date on verso lower right The bridge is a recurrent theme in Francis Alÿs’ work – whether it be in a literal or metaphorical sense. For his 2008 project “Don’t Cross the Bridge Before You Get to the River“, the artist attempted to create an imaginary bridge between Tangier and Tarifa over the Street of Gibraltar. From both cities, a group of children, each carrying a toylike boat made out of shoes, swam in opposite directions, attempting to meet midway. In this 2006 study, Francis Alÿs depicts the figure of a girl carrying a toy-boat, entering the sea. The use of tracing paper and transparent colors conveys a sense of fragility and delicate poetry which plays a beautiful contrast with the titanic endeavor the children are about to make of bridging Europe to the African continent. The resulting video of this project can be seen on the artist's website: https://francisalys.com/dont-cross-the-bridge-before-you-get-to-the-river/ Provenance Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich