Karen Knorr – “Scavi”

Danziger Gallery is pleased to present Scavi, Karen Knorr’s newest ongoing series.

“Scavi,” the Italian word for “excavations,” began in 2023 after Knorr visited archaeological sites around Naples. The work draws on Roman and Greek myths found in the painted frescoes of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying several cities. Pompeii, Herculaneum, and nearby sites were preserved under ash for centuries. Today they are UNESCO World Heritage sites, visited by millions each year. The frescoes uncovered there show both daily life and myth. Some paintings depict food, flowers, and household objects, offering a glimpse of ordinary Roman life. Others tell well-known Greek stories, such as Frisso and Elle fleeing their homeland, or “Leda and the Swan” in which Zeus transforms himself into a swan to seduce Leda queen of Sparta.

Animals continue to play an important role in Knorr’s new work. They appear in the ancient frescoes and in the preserved remains found at the sites. Plaster casts made after the eruption revealed that animals died alongside humans, showing how closely their lives were connected. Indeed, wealthy Romans kept exotic animals—monkeys, parrots, leopards, and lions—as symbols of status.

In Scavi, these animals return as reminders of the lasting power of myth and the fragile nature of life.