Published 1 SEP 2024

Opening – 7 SEP 2024, 1-4 pm
7 SEP until 5 OCT 2024
pied-à-terre
Mommsenstr. 4, 10623 Berlin

Los Angeles, the symbolic end of Western Civilisation, and Athens, its storied beginning, converge in the creative journey of Michael McGregor, who divides his time between these two iconic cities. “Temple of Euphoria”, the artist’s first solo show at pied-à-terre is also his debut in Europe.

“The temple is a place of refuge…A sanctuary from omnipresent capitalism/consumer culture, endless doom-scrolling social media, techno-authoritarianism, looming fascist agendas…a peaceful place for joy, euphoria, solace, ecstatic peace!”  

Inspired by the mythic figure Dionysus, McGregor’s exhibition delves into themes of liberation, joy, and the ecstatic, exploring the Greek god’s role as the “Liberator” who shatters the shackles of the body through wine, music, and dance. This show is a vibrant celebration of freedom of spirit, challenging the constraints of societal norms and embracing the ancient Greek tradition of asymmetry in architecture and worship.

McGregor’s works transform the architectural and sculptural elements of ancient Greek temples into a dynamic, immersive experience. His paintings blur the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and architecture, inviting viewers to traverse the realms of the sacred and the profane. Columns, once pillars of ancient sanctuaries, now frame the path to an altar of contemporary exploration, each piece a meditation on the continuity and transformation of cultural symbols.

Drawing from the pagan sanctuaries of antiquity and the enduring allure of the Dionysian rites, McGregor reinterprets these elements, presenting them as both relic and revival. The artist’s approach to decontextualise and re-contextualise ancient forms invites a dialogue between past and present, making the iconography of Dionysus both ubiquitous and timeless. “Temple of Euphoria” highlights how these cults, rites, and architectural forms resurface through history, echoing the spirit of the Bacchanalia—festivals that once challenged societal norms and boundaries.

McGregor’s work questions the perennial human quest for the divine and the ecstatic, making ancient traditions relevant to contemporary discourse.

Michael McGregor was born in 1983 in Fairfield, Connecticut, he lives and works un Los Angeles, California. McGregor creates wide-eyed rendering of traditional subject matters, with a focus on still life, that reinvigorate our relationship with the aesthetics of everyday life. His work have been shown in galleries across the US and Mexico and has appeared in Wall Street Journal Magazine, New York Times, Interview Magazine, the Financial Times How To Spend It and Harpers Bazaar, among others. Publications: “The Greece Notebook” (Hyper Hypo, 2023); ”Room Service” (Paragon Books, 2024)