Same Old, Same Old by Berlinde De Bruyckere conveys the human condition

Galleria Continua presents Same Old, Same Old, a solo exhibition by Belgium-based artist Berlinde De Bruyckere, on view from January 24 – April 19, 2026, at their San Gimignano space in Italy. “For more than thirty years, the Belgian artist has established an oeuvre in which the body, often portrayed as a hybrid entity with human, animal and plant features, speaks the language of desire, suffering and transformation. Her works are metaphorical images that convey horror and beauty, violence and tenderness, wounds and healing, generating an overwhelming sense of human connection,” Galleria Continua notes.

Same Old, Same Old presents drawings alongside early sculptures by the contemporary artist, tracing the evolution of her artistic vision from 1987 to today. Despite the breadth of time, the art exhibition underscores a striking thematic continuity. Recurrent motifs—such as cages, blankets and hybrid bodies—suggest that the crises shaping human experiences persist across generations. The exhibition’s title reflects this cyclical reality. “Art emerges as a space in which to confront it with emotional intensity and awareness,” notes Continua.

A central aspect of the show is the body, not merely as a physical form, but as a political and symbolic entity. “As Valentino Catricalà writes…De Bruyckere’s ‘body’ is not only a physical, cultural and spiritual entity, but also a political act: the interpretation of a new social body that exists in a delicate balance between absence and presence, between a given physical structure and continual metamorphosis,” the contemporary art gallery notes.

Among the artworks on view is Spreken (1999), where two concealed figures, wrapped in heavy blankets, suggest intimacy and protection. In I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1992), delicate roses crafted from lead subvert traditional symbols of love, transforming them into objects of weight and toxicity. The recurring motif of cages, seen in the Kooi series, reinforces ideas of confinement and control, while drawings such as De vrouw ontvangt de vleugels van de zoon hint at transformation and the enduring presence of angelic imagery in her work.

“In some instances, the sculptures are placed beneath glass cases; in others, they are suspended from the ceiling; and in still others, as with the works on view, Zonder Titel I, and Zonder Titel II, they rest on wooden supports, in this case resembling easels or hat stands. These supports become an integral part of the works, contributing to their conceptual construction,” Continua elaborates.

The exhibition culminates with Slaapzaal IV (2000), an installation featuring an empty bed elevated on slender metal legs. The absence of the human figure intensifies its presence, turning the body into a haunting, symbolic centre.