The following online exhibition was curated to celebrate the first exhibition of Boris Lurie's works in the UK, titled Boris Lurie: Ever the Radical at OXO Gallery London (23rd September - 11th October 2026), presented by Ben Uri Gallery and Museum and the Boris Lurie Art Foundation.
Memories Dismembered explores the recurring visual themes of fragmentation and dismemberment that are present throughout Boris Lurie’s broad and rich body of work, both in subject matter and technique. Through these motifs, the exhibition reflects Lurie’s radical engagement with the fractured human experience, particularly in relation to the trauma of the Holocaust and the sobering realities of post-war existence.
The exhibition is divided into several distinct sections, each presenting a visually considered assemblage of Lurie’s artworks. Together, these sections invite new interpretations of his work and encourage emotional responses from the viewer. Lurie’s art can be approached on multiple levels: as a visceral embodiment of historical trauma, as a means of societal critique, and as an exploration of the fragmented nature of memory.
Each section stands as its own ensemble while pointing towards shifts in Lurie’s use of dissection and reintegration. Across the exhibition, these ideas move from explorations of the human form towards works that challenge contemporary politics, artistic fashions, and social conventions. The division of the exhibition into individual sections allows for a broader examination of Lurie’s practice by, in itself, dismembering and reconstructing his artistic output.
The exhibition also invites reflection on the notion of dissection. This operates both literally, through Lurie’s subject matter and techniques, and conceptually, through his dissection of accepted political, social, and artistic norms. The dynamics of dismemberment and fragmentation within Lurie’s work mirror his personal engagement with trauma, loss, and memory. In encountering these fragmented forms, the audience is invited to piece together their own interpretations and consider the memories, meanings, and experiences embedded within each work.
