Slip of the Tongue 4

Alexandra Bircken often devotes herself in her work to the human body. By approaching it in its individual parts or enveloping it, she opens up new perspectives on social demands and ideals. “Slip of the Tongue”, presented in the Kurpark in Blickachsen 14, also shows an isolated organ: a huge, bright red tongue, the tip of which is adorned with a metallic piercing that reflects its surroundings, rests on a cylindrical concrete base. Served up like an object, it leans against the back of a shiny black rod that tapers downwards. The title is ambiguous: through the English idiom “slip of the tongue”, it refers to the tongue as an organ of speech, but here it also seems to denote the physical detachment of the tongue and its imminent sliding down from its pedestal. Without its accompanying body, the tongue loses its purpose – to taste, to feel, but above all to speak. It is presented here as an oversized, punning reflection on the body and language.
Alexandra Bircken studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins College in London before turning to sculptural work. She has exhibited widely internationally, including at the 2019 Venice Biennale, and is a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.