Kiss the Devil’s Arse
sculpture/ stage
2026
64cm x 64cm x 25cm
wood, dried cumin, oil paint
Round and round the fire we go,
to kiss the devil’s arse,
But beware to complete the ring whole
It makes you one of us
We’re witches, dolls, faggots, the old,
The ones they cast apart,
Named and shamed, by lies retold
The scapegoat’s burning mark
Lili Alexander performing
The Goat, the Flesh and the Gaze”
photo by
Michelle Mantel
The circular platform evokes both a witches’ sabbath and a pyre on which supposed witches were historically burned. The platform is engraved with a poetic chant, written in the style of a simple folk song. Visitors must walk around it to read the lyrics. The text acts like a curse that bewitches visitors and draws them over to the supposedly ‘evil’ side. The work is also activated as a stage for the performances taking place during the exhibition.
Text by Johanna Engemann