Karen Conway – Papaver Somniferum

Pallas Projects/Studios are pleased to announce Karen Conway—Papaver Somniferum, the fourth exhibition of our 2024 Artist-Initiated Projects programme.

Opium is the dried milky sap of the immature seed pod of the Papaver Somniferum. The sticky paste contains many chemical substances, including morphine. This name is derived from Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. His father was the god Hypnos, the god of sleep. The German pharmacist Sertürner first isolated the alkaloid from opium in 1804. The name morphine is very well chosen because the effect of morphine transports the user to a soft dream world and excludes them from reality and consequences.

Primarily, drawing is a risk-taking exercise – making marks on paper and not knowing the outcome. Drawing is a way to investigate my story and the stories of others, as filtered through memory. Papaver Somniferum is a drawing installation that tells a story in three parts, each part connected to the Netherlands.

Gallery hours:
12–6pm, Thursday–Saturday (during exhibitions)