In 1994 the New York artist Matthew Barney started a five-part project entitled Cremaster. The series of films and the resulting sculptural work can be seen as a work in progress (Cremaster 2 and Cremaster 3 still have to be released). In all cases, the artist constructs a story with far-reaching symbolic significance on the basis of his very ingenious images.The fifth part is a continuation of the investigation into the relationship between bodily functions, physical activity and sculptural form. Cremaster 5 is situated in Budapest (the State Opera, the Gellert Thermae) where several special characters portray romance in Gothic style. Barney plays the roles of Diva, Magician and Giant, facing Ursula Andress in her role as ‘Queen of Chain’.
