Anish Kapoor, Eclipse (2018). Stainless steel and lacquer. Each 121 x 121 x 15 cm. Courtesy SCAI Piramide.
Anish Kapoor (born in Mumbai, India in 1954, currently living in London) is an internationally acclaimed artist known for his seminal sculptures that work directly to viewer's perspective and the space. His work is exhibited throughout the world. In 2012, he created Orbit, a monumental tower commissioned on the occasion of the 2012 London Olympics, and in 2015 held a solo exhibition at the Palace of Versailles, just to mention a few of Kapoor's unconventional accomplishments. Kapoor has explored the concept of the 'Void' in his sculptural pursuits based on a research into color, light, perspective and space, from his earliest period. In 2016, he manifested his astonishing passion to give further perfection to his sculptures, by purchasing the exclusive right for artistic use of Vantablack, the 'world's blackest black', absorbing 99.965% of visible light. Today, an important retrospective dedicated to the artist is held in two venues in Venice, Italy, which are Gallerie dell'Accademia and Palazzo Malfrin. Presenting key moments in the artist's career, the retrospective reveals his ground-breaking new works, create dusing the black for the first time. In parallel to these current Venetian shows, the exhibition will survey his artistic achievement through a composition of his new and recent works.
A plate-shaped sculpture with a vivid blue welcomes visitors at the entrance. The circular shape, made of stainless steel, carving gently to its bottom, is characteristic to Kapoor's art. Two outlandish structures are exhibited opposite on the wall. As his sculpture often reflects unpredictable landscapes on its mirrored sphere, these silvered bodies, showing sceneries at totally unexpected angles, also assumes a strong force to draw viewers in the world of the artist. An expanded belly-like form is Untitled. The piece which is characterized by its humorous outline, calling an imagination of something mysterious rising from a dark abyss, gives a multifaceted interpretation to the viewer's insight.
The annex room gives a glimpse of the 'Non-object space,' a long-standing term of the artist. A corner of the ceiling sinks into darkness, as if there was an empty hole. Through the blackness, which seems limitless, it brings 'Void' to the space. Kapoor explores the realisation of a contradictory states of things that are present but absent, empty yet full, and constantly made possible. His consistent interest towards such a concept was already embodied as his 'Void' sculptures, presented at Venice Biennale in 1990, won the Turner Prize in 1991. His artistic endeavour suggests a new horizon today with a development to the space itself.
On the boundaries of the walls, two pieces are hung next to each other as a diptych titled Eclipse, which literally evokes an occultation of celestial bodies, with the reflected figure of two circles overlapping progressively. A golden piece, on the other hand, mirrors the landscape on its surface, and furthermore abstracts the room with a sense of distortion.
The relentless pursuit of the artist has taken his practice to unparalleled heights. The exhibition here presents his recent execution as well as a distillation of his latest studies devoted to an embodiment of the 'Void', and invites viewers to explore thoughts and practices distinctive of this exceptional artist.
About the exhibition
Dates: Sat. 7 May - Sat. 9 July, 2022
Venue: SCAI PIRAMIDE
Courtesy of the Artist and SCAI The Bathhouse.
