Wednesday 17 October 2012

Aeneas Wilder

 
 
Untitled, No. 162, by Aeneas Wilder at the Mead Gallery, University of Warwick




A site specific installation, constructed only in wood using no fixings, joining or additional materials.




looking closely - this is how it is constructed.




'Wilder creates structures which alter the way we understand and navigate space, focing us around their perimeters or inviting us within walls which offer shelter whilst simultaneously threatening to collapse upon us'.




Photographs do not do this installation justice - the whole thing shimmered, at times it felt like there were mirros in between the slats, at other times you felt like there was water there.




'The exhibition will culminate with the destruction of the installation by Wilder and with this act he will challenge the value we place upon permanence both within life and in art, thus bringing into sharp focus the precariousness of human existence when faced with the full force of nature which Wilder witnessed at close hand with the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan last year'.




The structure is so complex and yet so fragile: we were told that last week one of the visitors could not believe that there was nothing holding all the pieces together so he decided to test this himself: he apparently, very gently touched one of the slats and suddenly, half of the edifice collapsed on the floor.




They had to ask the artist to come back and reassemble it all.




It was great fun walking around or inside the installation




and the whole time we were so careful about not getting too close and inadvertently touching anything





fortunately taking photographs was allowed.




 
 
 
 
 
 

8 comments:

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    2. Wonderful and great fun. It is a shame that the 'destruction' is fully booked: I have revised my attitude and would have loved to have the opportunity to go.

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  2. There are videos which we saw in an Edinburgh gallery of his work being destroyed...probably available on YouTube.

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    1. Will look into it. But, not the same as being there...

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  3. Now own up - was it you who knocked it down? ;-)

    He also had a work in the Longside Gallery at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park Last year.

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    1. Damn! I have been found out!

      Did you see it? It was quite fantastic - mesmerising and fun.

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  4. Yes, we did see it during one of our visits to the YSP last year.

    And I have have to admit I was tempted to ...!

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