Sidecar, in collaboration with Night Gallery, is delighted to present Sad and Worried Animals, an exhibition of new sculptures by Swiss artist Olaf Breuning. This is Breuning’s first exhibition solely devoted to the eponymous series. Sad and Worried Animals inaugurates Sidecar, located at 2034 Imperial Street, adjacent to Night Gallery, 2050 Imperial Street.

Inspired by his recent trip through Peru, Breuning’s exhibition Sad and Worried Animals reimagines on a human scale the miniature soapstone carvings of animals that are sold throughout the country. These pocket-sized sculptures stand about one inch high, differentiated by the colors of their soapstone bodies and bead-like eyes. Their spare curves and hard-edged carvings alternately suggest shells, hooves, tails, and other distinguishing features. Soapstone itself is said to have soothing, healing powers.

In 2020, Breuning began collaborating with Cerámica Suro, the influential ceramics studio in Guadalajara, Mexico, to realize his new Sad and Worried Animals. Over the past four years, the artist has gradually made a menagerie of these sculptures. They demonstrate both serious ecological concern and the playful visual language that have defined Breuning’s oeuvre for three decades.

Breuning specifies the rough, textured appearance of his new works as well as the color palettes for the bright ceramic eyes. At Sidecar, the new Sad and Worried Animals include a pig, known for its intellect, emotion, and ability to empower; a bird, which suggests freedom and new beginnings; and a giraffe, which brings wisdom, patience, and intuition into the space. They are carved from different hues of cantera, black, and lava stone and stand on pedestals, elevated to visitors’ eye level. The strategy lends seriousness to the work, while the animals’ soft curves and pleading eyes embrace an endearing cuteness. Visitors stand face-to-face with these forms, confronted with their impact on humanity.

Breuning is deeply moved by humans and the natural world. In his studio, he synthesizes contemporary concerns and vernacular forms, more interested in pop culture than in any particular dogma or art historical past. The Sad and Worried Animals simply frown and look up—thanks to human activity, their environment is in danger, and all they can do is wait.

Olaf Breuning (b. 1970, Schaffhausen, Switzerland) has presented solo exhibitions across Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and Asia, at galleries and institutions including Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France; Paul Klee Museum, Bern, Switzerland; Public Art Fund, Friedman Plaza, New York, NY; Metro Pictures, New York, NY; Nils Staerk Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark; Kunsthall Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway, and many others. His work has been included in group exhibitions at Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark ; AMPFA, Berkeley, CA; Tinguely Museum, Basel, Switzerland; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA, and other venues worldwide. Breuning’s work belongs in the collections of AROS, Aarhus, Denmark; Fonds National d'Art Contemporain, France; Kunsthaus Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; Louisiana Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark; Saatchi Collection, London, UK; among many other institutions. The artist lives and works in upstate New York.