Beautiful, evocative, investigative art adorn this eclectic exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, London. The pieces question a range of political, economic and social issues with little in the way of proselytizing, leaving plenty of opportunity for visitors to reflect. This was especially the case with the stretcher frame sculptures by Alexandra Bircken. Extremely subtle and humbling, but stunning to look at, organic shapes that made different patterns when viewed from various parts of the room.
Alexandra Bircken (Drape, 2007)
Alexandra Bircken (Unit 3, 2008)
Alexandra Bircken (Unit 3, 2008) close up
Georg Herold’s taut, stretchy sculptures were a joy to absorb. I felt like clapping and giving a cheer. At once both comical and startling I found it very hard to resist trying to touch the surface. The pieces seemed so unguarded, free and in some respects almost anarchic in very staid white-walled surroundings. I hope to see them in parks one day as they would look amazing out in the open air.
Georg Herold (Untitled, 2010) close up
Georg Herold (Untitled, 2011)
Georg Herold (Untitled, 2010)
Mirror Wall (2010), an interactive piece by Jeppe Hein, was a lot of fun, watching your image shimmer and contort as you approach it was a more pleasing experience than I had anticipated. There were so many other challenging pieces. Kristine Roepstorff has an interesting body of work. I spent a long time looking at the one below. For me it was the highlight of the exhibition – a visually stunning and thought-provoking piece. Although, when I took the picture the reflection of someone standing close by was captured, I have included the photo anyway as in some respects it feels like there has been a lot of standing around in the past, and even now, while the human rights of so many are being violated by conflicts globally.
Kristine Roepstorff (Exercise version 2 – from the series “it’s not the eye of the needle that changed”, 2007)
In a room to itself, the pieces by Thomas Zipp are thunderous, icy and immense – even those that are just images on the wall. The emotive quality of his pieces are derived from the way they seem forced and constrained – a reflection of the rigid, clinical structures that are used to convey information about violent events that have a direct impact on the emotional psyche and well-being of people. It left me with a sense of worry and isolation, and the pieces still remain in my thoughts.
Thomas Zipp (Schwarze Ballons, 2005)
Thomas Zipp, (World Kantzler Office, 2004)
Overall, this was a very revelatory exhibition in a unique space – a gallery which is free to visit and allows people to move pretty unhindered and record images for later study and discourse. There were many other artists that had pieces that I wanted to spend a long time with. This was an exhibition where I fell in love with some of the art on display. Do go see it if you get a chance (the exhibition runs until the 15th of April 2012). Information about the artists and their work can be found on the gallery website.
Gert & Uwe Tobias (Untitled, 2009)
