BUY ART
Ronnie van Hout: Quasi
Created by renowned contemporary artist Ronnie van Hout, Quasi is an uncanny supersized amalgam of the artist’s own hand and face. Described as a “a master of slapstick existentialism”, van Hout is known for his unsettling blend of humour and pathos, eliciting repulsion and empathy with his strange and lifelike figures. Alter-egos and doppelgangers of himself appear throughout van Hout’s work, exploring themes of the self, the body, and alienation.
The figure of the ‘outsider’ – aliens, robots, gurus, cult leaders, and artists – is an enduring fascination for van Hout. Across sculpture, film, and installations, van Hout plays versions of himself which interrogate the psychology of uneven power relationships and return the audience’s gaze.
‘Quasi’ is often defined as ‘apparently but not really’: something which is seemingly one thing but not truly, or fully, being so. Quasi is misshapen and disembodied, but perhaps appearances deceive. His name is also a nod to another notorious and misunderstood roof dweller, the tragic hero Quasimodo from Victor Hugo’s 1831 social novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo is ridiculed and persecuted for his appearance, the torch-wielding masses unable to recognise his selfless kindness and moral clarity.
From his belltower in the Notre Dame Cathedral, Quasimodo overlooked Paris during a period of modernisation, as the city began its dramatic transformation from a sprawling medieval citadel to the ambitious architectural metropolis of today. Here in Bendigo, Quasi will quietly watch over the transformation of Bendigo Art Gallery from the rooftop of 73 View Street.
Originally commissioned by Christchurch Art Gallery in an outdoor art series, during their closure following the 2011 earthquake, Quasi has also spent time atop Wellington Art Gallery and the Henry Jones Hotel during Dark Mofo 2025, always causing a sensation wherever he goes.
Recommended for you
Created by renowned contemporary artist Ronnie van Hout, Quasi is an uncanny supersized amalgam of the artist’s own hand and face. Described as a “a master of slapstick existentialism”, van Hout is known for his unsettling blend of humour and pathos, eliciting repulsion and empathy with his strange and lifelike figures. Alter-egos and doppelgangers of himself appear throughout van Hout’s work, exploring themes of the self, the body, and alienation.
The figure of the ‘outsider’ – aliens, robots, gurus, cult leaders, and artists – is an enduring fascination for van Hout. Across sculpture, film, and installations, van Hout plays versions of himself which interrogate the psychology of uneven power relationships and return the audience’s gaze.
‘Quasi’ is often defined as ‘apparently but not really’: something which is seemingly one thing but not truly, or fully, being so. Quasi is misshapen and disembodied, but perhaps appearances deceive. His name is also a nod to another notorious and misunderstood roof dweller, the tragic hero Quasimodo from Victor Hugo’s 1831 social novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo is ridiculed and persecuted for his appearance, the torch-wielding masses unable to recognise his selfless kindness and moral clarity.
From his belltower in the Notre Dame Cathedral, Quasimodo overlooked Paris during a period of modernisation, as the city began its dramatic transformation from a sprawling medieval citadel to the ambitious architectural metropolis of today. Here in Bendigo, Quasi will quietly watch over the transformation of Bendigo Art Gallery from the rooftop of 73 View Street.
Originally commissioned by Christchurch Art Gallery in an outdoor art series, during their closure following the 2011 earthquake, Quasi has also spent time atop Wellington Art Gallery and the Henry Jones Hotel during Dark Mofo 2025, always causing a sensation wherever he goes.
Artists on show
Contact details
What's on nearby
