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Hands Holding the Void Subject of Gallery Guide Talk

Alberto Giacometti’s Mains tenant le vide (Hands Holding the Void; 1934) will be the subject of an upcoming Gallery Guide talk with Yale University undergraduates Conor Downey, BR ’22, and Brianna Wu, MC ’22 on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. Downey and Wu will bring their perspectives to this single work of art in this session.

According to the Yale University Art Gallery website, “This original plaster sculpture is the first known example of a complete representational human figure in Alberto Giacometti’s oeuvre. Created during the seven-year period of the artist’s association with the Surrealists, the stylized female figure exists in an imaginary space defined by a series of abstract framing devices. The large, detailed eyes recall the visionary figuration of Byzantine mosaics. Poised precariously on the edge of a mystical experience, the figure remains suspended in a state of temporal confinement. Despite this tension, the long, expressive hands emerge from the frame, offering a metaphysical void for the viewer’s consideration.”

Sponsored by the John Walsh Lecture and Education Fund, the event is free and open to the public. Closed captions will be available in English and registration is required and can be made by visiting artgallery.yale.edu/calendar-upcoming-events.