When the young Alex Da Corte moved to New York, he became acquainted with works by the likes of Andy Warhol (1928-1987) and Claes Oldenburg (1929-). Together with the filmmaker David Lynch (1946- ), these innovative artists made an indelible impression on the young artist. On the basis of this inspiration, Alex Da Corte developed his distinctive artistic expression, which, rooted in a conceptual approach, encompasses painting, sculpture, installation and video. Da Corte’s works feature surreal scenes and familiar everyday objects, which together constitute the artist’s examination of topics such as consumption, popular culture, mythology and literature.
The video work Chelsea Hotel No. 2 features a wealth of associative clues: one of which is Leonard Cohen’s (1934-2016) famous song, from which the soundtrack and title come. The use of the song in itself evokes the iconic Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan, New York, which throughout its nearly 140-year history has housed a myriad of famous writers, musicians, actors and artists who lived there for various periods of time. They include Leonard Cohen. While staying in the hotel in 1968, he had an affair with the musician Janis Joplin (1943-1970): the inspiration for the iconic song. With the Cohen soundtrack playing, Alex Da Corte’s film shows two hands, covered alternately in flour, wrap, tape and dirt, doing various things: stacking toast, opening fizzy drinks, squeezing ketchup etc. Even though it is a video, the work possesses a colossal materiality, introducing us to a diversity of textures, colours and materials, which together constitute the artist’s palette.