January 29th – March 12th 2016

galerie hiltawsky
Tucholskystraße 41
10117 Berlin


With 'Holy Shit', opening on 29 January 2016, galerie hiltawsky in Berlin presents the first exhibition in Germany by London-based artist duo BeckerHarrison. The show features 17 black & white photographs from their eponymous series, which was produced during Easter and Passover celebrations in Jerusalem. Their visual commentary on the coexistence of the three world religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is both subtle and ironic.

Using Carolin Becker’s photographs like a canvas, painter and graffiti artist Simon Harrison integrates signs of a seemingly omnipresent military presence. Through skillful airbrushing techniques, he equips the depicted protagonists with weapons and other trappings. 'Holy Shit' thus visualizes the interplay of religion and violence that has prevailed in Jerusalem since the 1960s.

The work 'Machine Gun Preachers' depicts a procession of Catholic priests who seem to be armed with machine guns. Despite appearing astonishingly realistic, a closer look reveals the artistic intervention that transforms the pure (photographic) image into a commentary that is both abstract and political, an invitation to dialogue.

The London-based artist duo BeckerHarrison received critical acclaim in 2010 with their first solo exhibition, 'What A Difference A Day Makes', at The Outsiders, a project space by the well-known Lazarides Gallery in London. The collaboration between the German photographer Carolin Becker and the British painter Simon Harrison unites not only the mediums of photography and painting, but also diverse aspects of art and global history. This is exemplified by their well-known series 'Naked Truth', which will be shown in parallel to 'Holy Shit' starting 30 January 2016, at Potsdamer Strasse 85.

Opening reception
January 28th 2016, 7 – 10 pm

January 30th – February 28th 2016

galerie hiltawsky POP-UP SPACE
Potsdamer Straße 85
10785 Berlin


'Naked Truth' is an unconventional re-staging of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous ‘The Last Supper’. Over several visits to Bangkok, BeckerHarrison casted Thai ‘ladyboy’ prostitutes in the roles of Jesus of Nazareth and his apostles. The result is a delicate play between the reinterpretation of an iconic masterpiece and a personal play on the present-day gender discourse. Carolin Becker makes wry reference to the traditional use of prostitutes as models in the history of Western Christian art. Together with Simon Harrison she also creates a platform for a socially marginalized group that she encountered as being warm-hearted and influenced by Buddhism.

The exhibition 'Naked Truth' presents eight, large-format works that interact uniquely with the raw surroundings of the exhibition space.

Opening reception
January 29th 2016, 7 pm – midnight