Douglas Gordon Needs a Little bit of Everything at Gagosian
Douglas Gordon’s “All I Need Is a Little Bit of Everything,” on display at the Gagosian Grosvenor Hill from February 1 to March 15, 2024, serves as a profound exploration of moral dichotomies and the human condition through a blend of video work, text, and installation art.
Spanning four decades of Gordon’s career, the exhibition revisits themes of good versus evil, the concept of sin, and the essence of the soul, engaging viewers in a deep, reflective journey. The centrepiece, “Pretty Much Every Film and Video Work from About 1992 Until Now…”, is an ambitious installation that compiles Gordon’s video works on an array of screens, from traditional televisions to modern iPads. This retrospective piece not only tracks the evolution of Gordon’s artistic narrative but also mirrors the fragmented manner in which contemporary society processes information and memory.
A standout work in the exhibition, “2023EastWestGirlsBoys”, presents a captivating close-up of Gordon’s eye, illuminated and transformed by the neon lights of Soho’s nightlife. This single-channel video projection encapsulates the artist’s fascination with the area’s erotic entertainment scene, using his own eye as a canvas to reflect neon texts and signs, thereby weaving a complex narrative about perception, desire, and the urban experience.
Textual works play a crucial role in the exhibition, with phrases meticulously translated into a multitude of languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Spanish, and Scots Gaelic. This multilingual presentation not only highlights Gordon’s Scottish roots but also underscores the universality of his themes, bridging cultural and linguistic divides. Among these, “It doesn’t matter who I am. I just want to talk to you.” (1992) and “Take Me (I’m Yours)” (2008) stand out, inviting viewers into a dialogic engagement with the artist’s contemplations on identity and communication.
Furthermore, the exhibition extends beyond the gallery space with “undergroundandoverheard” (2023), a commissioned work for the Elizabeth Line Underground station at Tottenham Court Road. This animated video piece broadcasts a selection of Gordon’s emotionally charged text works, now translated into London’s most widely spoken languages, across a large screen in the ticket hall, effectively transforming a public space into an arena of artistic expression and reflection.
Douglas Gordon’s All I Need Is a Little Bit of Everything at Gagosian Grosvenor Hill is an amalgamation of the artist’s enduring fascination with the complexities of the human psyche, morality, and the interplay between personal and collective memory. Yet, Gordon leaves viewers enough space to confront and ponder the existential dilemmas that define our time and our lives.
Grosvenor Hill, London, February 1–March 15, 2024
20 Grosvenor Hill
London w1k 3qd
london@gagosian.com
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10–6
Elena Leo is the Arts & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
