Ovartaci
The Signature of Madness
A part of the subject area Art
More about the book
About the book
Hospitalized upon a mental breakdown in 1929 Louis Marcussen (1894-1985) begins a spectacular journey. He starts to produce paintings, papier-mâché dolls, magical smoking devices, mechanical objects; he starts to decorate and paint on almost everything around him. He fills his room at the psychiatric institution with artwork, notably with tall and eloquent female figures, and he seems to deeply invest himself in his work and visions. He dissolves into a swirl of male, female, animal and divine identities. He discards the name Louis and takes the name Ovartaci.
Ovartaci. The Signature of Madness is the first international monograph on Ovartaci, and it is the first research-based book on the artist. Richly illustrated the book opens the world of Ovartaci. It investigates into the madness of Louis and the invention of Ovartaci. It puts Louis turning into Ovartaci on the psychoanalytical couch to listen to what haunts him, as well as to describe, analyze and theorize the way in which Louis reconfigures as Ovartaci and comes to inhabit life anew.
Ovartaci is increasingly recognized as one of the most enthralling Danish artists of the 20th-century. At the 2022 Venice Biennale the art of Ovartaci is part of the main exhibition and displayed in the Central Pavilion.
Read more: Biennale of Venice
