Welcome to the World of H.R. Giger; In the Belly of the Beast, With ...

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By Javier M. de PisónThe womb-like interior of the otherworldly environment that is the H.R. Giger Museum Bar is acavernous, skeletal structure covered by double arches of vertebrae that crisscross the vaultedceiling of an ancient castle. The acute perceptual sensation of being in this extraordinary settingrecalls the Biblical tale of Jonah and the whale, lending the feel of being literally in the bellyof a fossilized, prehistoric beast. But the the "Harkonnen" chairs, with their spinal cord backstopped by pelvis bones, and the stone floor plates engraved with strange hieroglyphs all suggestthat somehow you have been transported into the remains of a mutated future civilization.Biomechanoid 2002. aluminum sculpturePhoto: © 2002 Kelly M. BrillMordor VII. 1975Acrylic on paper on wood100 x 70 cmTATTOO
Alien Monster IV. 1978Acrylic on paper140x140 cmThe bar, as well as the Giger Museum, whichhouses this unique architectural installation, isthe unmistakable work the Swiss Surrealist H.R.Giger. Known for his Oscar-winning designs forRidley Scott's classic "Alien" film (1980), Gigerhas left behind his airbrush paintings of the70'sand 80's to create a series of three-dimensionalspaces in which his aesthetic views, literally,come to life. If in his paintings he has vividlyillustrated the genesis of what he sees as thenext steps in the evolution of mankind — thesymbiosis of man and machine into new forms ofbeings— in his new sculptural and architecturalworks he makes you part of them.To build his museum, the artist renovated a 400-year-old medieval castle, Chateau St. Germain,high atop a hill in the picturesque Swiss town ofGruyères. The four-story building, a labyrinthinestructure with two-meter-thick walls, is now hometo the most comprehensive permanent display ofthe Giger's artwork, spanning his 40-year career.The years of arduous renovation work has notdiminished Giger's perseverance, nor his meticulouseye for detail. A good example of this is theintricate bronze banister flanking the stone stepsleading up to the entrance of the museum, cast inthe shape of the "Alien" creature's tail.There is a truly organic feel in the wing of thecastle that houses the Museum Bar, with itsbone-colored furniture and awe-inspiring interiordesign. Giger used a rock-like synthetic materialto cast the bar elements to preserve the atmosphereof this ancient chateau, which is a landmarkhistorical building.The Museum Bar, which took four years to com-SOCIETYThe H.R. Giger Bar. Gruyeres. SwitzerlandPhoto: © 2002. Wolfgang Holz
Page 1: At the entrance of the Giger Bar in
Page 5 and 6: Nighttime projection on the exterio
Page 7 and 8: Knickenfiwnk, 1988, Acrylic on pape
Page 10: airbrush paintings, all borrowedfor

Welcome to the World of H.R. Giger; In the Belly of the Beast, With ...

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