This sculpture by Patrick Van Caekenbergh is suggestive of a circus elephant performing on a pedestal. Other references are the teapot shape, the Dutch shoes filled with dirt, and the title from The Arabian Nights. The layered imagery makes for a provocative artwork.
Van Caekenbergh is a multimedia artist who creates sculpture, drawings, paintings, and installations. He lives in Belgium and shows his work internationally. The Ali Baba sculpture was exhibited at the 5th Istanbul Biennial “On Life, Beauty, Translations and Other Difficulties” in 1997.
Learn more about the artist in this profile that includes a video of Patrick Van Caekenbergh with his 2020 exhibition.