Precious Okoyomon's Lush Dreamscapes Land in Kunsthaus Bregenz

At the nexus of art, poetry and performance, Precious Okoyomon explores the interplay between play, chaos and regeneration. They first gained widespread attention following their presentation at the 2022 Venice Biennale, where they transformed the Arsenale into a sprawling, lush ecosystem, braiding natural flows with Afro-futuristic visions. Now, Okoyomon is bringing their imaginative worlds to Austria with ONE EITHER LOVES ONESELF OR KNOWS ONESELF, a solo exhibition featuring new works, at Kunsthaus Bregenz.

Through a series of expansive installations, the show transforms the museum into a dreamscape. From psychoanalytic consulting rooms reimagined with cute and mischievous devils, to a suspended sea of stuffed animals, the artist confronts intimate desires and fears with an unflinching sincerity, inviting viewers to explore strength in softness.

Works on view include like in the belly of the sun endless (2025), a colossal teddy bear forgotten at the edge of a plush pink carpet, paired with trance-like sounds by Takiaya Reed. With teardrop-shaped eyes and hearts on its paws, the bear’s anxious gaze prompts a sense of“daydream and self-forgetfulness,” fostering a trance-like atmosphere. On the top floor, a glass-enclosed garden nurtures the lives of pupating caterpillars and fluttering butterflies, offering a moment of earthy solace.

Just outside the garden, Okoyomon debuts their latest film, skysong (2025) where they are seen piloting a plane over the Hudson River, reading their poetry to the surrounding sky. “The images convey a feeling of boundlessness and freedom, characterized by a sense of an ego that views both things and life in the material world as a source of spiritual inspiration,” the museum wrote. “But the viewer is forced to remain behind the mesh, with the butterflies.”

ONE EITHER LOVES ONESELF OR KNOWS ONESELF is now on view until May 25, 2025.

Kunsthaus Bregenz
Karl-Tizian-Platz,
6900 Bregenz,
Austria