Puppets, Pawns, and Prophets illustrates Marcel Dzama’s solo exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery in London. His assorted masks and puppets are extraordinairy subject matters that originate from Dadaism and Marcel Duchamp’s influences above all. Dzama’s paintings resonate the shameless eroticism and pretence akin to scenes from the movie Eyes Wide Shut. It is where the line between fantasy and reality blurs with full consequences: motifs of war and torture merge comfortably with carnival masquerade, iconic fictional characters and scenes of mating rituals. Dzama’s lithe human figures are no more than motifs acting out a highly choreographed piece of theatre of violence and pleasure. Power-play and submission are clearly paraded in all of his works.