Ronit Baranga
"Calling The Muses" (2026) examines the very concept of creation. It draws a line between two distinct historical references: the 8th-century BCE poem Works and Days by the Greek poet Hesiod, which begins with an invocation of the Muses, and the 1807 relief by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, The Dance of the Muses on Mount Helicon, echoing the poses of its figures.
In Baranga's work, twelve figures are depicted with painted heads and upper bodies, while their lower halves are sculpted. The figures are rooted in the past yet remain in dialogue with the present. One figure, holding a smartphone, bridges the ancient scene of inspiration with the contemporary world, inviting the viewer to reflect on the origins of creativity and the role of the Muse in the digital age.