[Audio Guide]
Vinyl melted over a burner has been attached to the surface of this picture. The solidified vinyl is a vivid red color with scorch marks, and this together with the two eerie black holes evokes a sense of suffering. Burri served as a military surgeon in the Second World War and was taken as a prisoner of war, beginning painting for the first time when he was held in an internment camp. We can see that the direct experience of war is heavily reflected in this work. However, Burri knew to a painful degree how reason could be bypassed into a place of pure destruction. At first glance, the vinyl appears like the aftermath of a destructive event. Until the end of his career, Burri investigated what could be created from the possibilities of the material, demanding a purely aesthetic construction and attempting to discover a fresh expression.
