ZÉRUÌ - a new  exhibition programme - is proud to announce its inaugural exhibition: A/D D/A at 108 Fleet Street, London. A/D D/A brings together 19 artworks by eight contemporary artists working across several disciplines: Daniel Spivakov, Jack Laver, Mia Vallance, Li Hei Di, Jack Sommerville, Bradley Childs, Yage Guo and Alexander Carey Morgan. The exhibition explores the duality of two Greek gods - Apollo and Dionysus - and their influence on Western art from the ancient world to the 21st century.

Just over one hundred years ago, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche became preoccupied with the Ancient Greek Gods, Apollo and Dionysus. In his 1872 book, The Birth of Tragedy, he argued not only that most Western Art is indebted to the Greeks, but also that it is indebted to these two divine entities. For Nietzsche, Apollo represents order: ‘measured limitation’,‘the philosophical calmness of the sculptor-god’, and Dionysus represents chaos: the ‘collapse’ of individuality; ‘drunkenness’, but also birth, becoming, and divine inspiration. To make the perfect Greek Tragic Play (or any art, in fact), Nietzsche suggests you need a healthy dose of both. Beyond this formal aesthetic distinction, Nietzsche also reflects on why the ‘cult’ of Dionysus has such a hold over Greek thought, influencing everything from their religious practises to their art and social structure. Using The Birth of Tragedy’s idiosyncratic, aesthetic philosophy, this exhibition text locates a nascent divinity in the works exhibited in A/D D/A. The Ancient Greeks understood tragic theatre as a ritualistic act of commune with their Gods, and Nietzsche understood there to be an ‘intrinsic dependence of every art on Greek’. Does it follow, then, that this idea of ritual could still - consciously or unconsciously - factor into current artistic practises?

The opposition and co-dependence of Apollo and Dionysus have inspired artists and thinkers throughout history. Apollo, the Sun-god, champions logic and rational interpretation, examining one’s mind and psyche before action, rather than performing based on impulses. Dionysus, the god of wine and theatre, hedonism and ecstasy, is linked with destruction and madness. The Apollonian, represented throughout history, is linked with creation, the sublime and the beautiful dream image; whereas the Dionysian, neglected in classical thinking, affirm both the horror and bliss of life, and becoming one with nature. This exhibition uses these ancient ideas and modern, critical thought to engage with the dialogue between these two ways of being and consider the synthesis and balance of these ideals in artistic practice today.

- Introduction of 'Apollo, Dionysus and The Return of Rituals' By Lydia Earthy