For their duo show 'Siamese Others' at DMW Gallery, William Ludwig Lutgens (1991) and Elen Braga (1984) have a shared interest to reimagine artistic practices through the lens of conjoined twins, exploring the permeable boundaries of the ego, the fragile equilibrium between autonomy and dissociation, and how we navigate our differences within the context of shared experiences.
Elen Braga is a multidisciplinary Brazilian artist based in Antwerp whose work spans installation, sculpture, textiles, video and performance. Her work often emerges from labour-intensive processes and self-imposed physical tasks, through which she explores themes of strength and resilience.
Drawing on mythology, religion and personal symbolism, Braga revisits ancient narratives to examine how they persist in contemporary beliefs and social structures. Often combining monumental textile works with performative elements, her practice reflects on identity, power, and the body’s relationship to material and space. By intertwining references to her Brazilian heritage and her life in Europe, Braga creates pieces that are deeply personal yet politically resonant, challenging notions of monumentality, collective memory, and the narratives that influence contemporary society.
William Ludwig Lutgens works with painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, and film. In his multidisciplinary practice, he explores the human ego and the influence of media and societal systems within a performance-driven, late-neoliberal society. Playful, alter-ego-like characters often appear in his work, seemingly trapped within rigid social structures.
The grotesque plays an important role in his work: a space where humor and horror, or attraction and repulsion, overlap. Through absurdity, satire, and estrangement, Lutgens offers social commentary on themes such as economic competition, artistic practice, labor, and authority, inviting audiences to reflect on the images, expectations, and structures that shape contemporary life.