Discover the Best Contemporary Sculpture on My Modern Met - https://mymodernmet.com/category/art/sculpture/ The Big City That Celebrates Creative Ideas Thu, 02 Jan 2025 12:04:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-My-Modern-Met-Favicon-1-32x32.png Discover the Best Contemporary Sculpture on My Modern Met - https://mymodernmet.com/category/art/sculpture/ 32 32 Kinetic Clam Sculptures Translate Water Quality Data Into Hauntingly Beautiful Music https://mymodernmet.com/clams-marco-barotti/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Tue, 31 Dec 2024 18:30:01 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=708825 Kinetic Clam Sculptures Translate Water Quality Data Into Hauntingly Beautiful Music

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Marco Barotti (@marcobarotti) In nature, clams serve an essential function despite their plain appearance. While feeding, they filter pollutants through their bodies, improving water clarity by reducing sediment loads, turbidity, and excess nutrients. Clams, an interdisciplinary project by artist Marco Barotti, focuses on this […]

READ: Kinetic Clam Sculptures Translate Water Quality Data Into Hauntingly Beautiful Music

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Kinetic Clam Sculptures Translate Water Quality Data Into Hauntingly Beautiful Music

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marco Barotti (@marcobarotti)

In nature, clams serve an essential function despite their plain appearance. While feeding, they filter pollutants through their bodies, improving water clarity by reducing sediment loads, turbidity, and excess nutrients. Clams, an interdisciplinary project by artist Marco Barotti, focuses on this indispensable role through a unique multisensory experience.

Originally created in 2019, Clams is a collection of kinetic sound sculptures resembling their eponymous creature. Each sculpture is constructed from recycled plastic, contains a speaker, and is placed upon a body of water. What distinguishes these clams from static sculptures is their capacity to transform data into sound and movement.

Nearby industry-standard sensors translate detected water quality into a dynamic soundscape full of microtonal shifts. As the water quality fluctuates, the sounds the clams produce do as well. The music emitted by the clams is generated through real-time water readings and also result in subtle, life-like opening and closing gestures from the sculptures.

This variability directly corresponds to the surrounding environment, and recalls the clam’s natural ability to purify pollutants in its ecosystem. It also creates an intimate link between the sculptures and the water upon which they float.

Clams invites the audience to draw connections between media art, data sonification, and environmental sustainability,” Barotti writes about the project.

In addition to Clams, Barotti has created other kinetic artworks. Moss (2021), for example, analyzes air quality data from cities and reinterprets it into breathing patterns and evolving soundscapes. Fungi (2024), on the other hand, explores underground networks of fungi and accompanies the installation with a polyphonic soundscape.

Barotti describes his work as “tech ecosystem[s]” that “play with resemblances to animals and plants.” Whether depicting clams or moss, coral or fungi, it’s clear that Barotti’s work beautifully unites art, science, and technology.

To learn more about the artist, visit Marco Barotti’s website and follow him on Instagram.

Clams by Marco Barotti unites art, science, and technology by reinterpreting the clam’s natural function as a water purifier.

The kinetic sculptures convert real-time water quality data into sound and movement, creating dynamic and haunting soundscapes.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marco Barotti (@marcobarotti)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marco Barotti (@marcobarotti)

Clams invites audiences to draw connections between environmental sustainability, media art, and data sonification.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marco Barotti (@marcobarotti)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marco Barotti (@marcobarotti)

Marco Barotti: Website | Instagram

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READ: Kinetic Clam Sculptures Translate Water Quality Data Into Hauntingly Beautiful Music

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Optical Illusion Bird Sculptures Made of Discarded Plastic Toys Sends an Important Environmental Message https://mymodernmet.com/thomas-deininger-bird-sculptures-perspective/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:30:40 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=711057 Optical Illusion Bird Sculptures Made of Discarded Plastic Toys Sends an Important Environmental Message

  Ver esta publicación en Instagram   Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger) One man's trash is this artist's material of choice. Artist Thomas Deininger takes discarded items and transforms them into anamorphic sculptures of birds, many of which are endangered or extinct, sending an important environmental message through his art. Each completed piece […]

READ: Optical Illusion Bird Sculptures Made of Discarded Plastic Toys Sends an Important Environmental Message

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Optical Illusion Bird Sculptures Made of Discarded Plastic Toys Sends an Important Environmental Message

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger)

One man's trash is this artist's material of choice. Artist Thomas Deininger takes discarded items and transforms them into anamorphic sculptures of birds, many of which are endangered or extinct, sending an important environmental message through his art. Each completed piece looks like a lifelike interpretation of a bird when looking at it from a particular angle, but the real magic sinks in once the point of view shifts. Deininger plays with perspective for his pieces to come together, as they are made of a cleverly arranged mix of old plastic toys and trinkets, sending a warning about how our abuse of resources is harming the natural world.

Armed with a glue gun, Deininger joins the items in a complex web that wouldn't make much sense until it is viewed from a certain angle. “Now that I’ve been doing this a while, I see parts and pieces of creatures (birds, fish, insects, etc.) in all kinds of man-made materials,” Deininger told Jejune Magazine. “I see beaks and wings and feathers claws everywhere in a kind of reverse biomimicry. Conversely, I also see shapes and textures of specific objects when observing the natural world. Sometimes a material or action figure inspires the subject, sometimes it’s the other way around.”

For Deininger, the climate crisis is his biggest political and social concern, and that's why it has taken center stage in his artistic practice. “I have always been sensitive to these issues but the catalyst to make the statement was definitely witnessing first hand plastics wash up on remote islands in the South Pacific when I was on a years long surfing trip around the world,” Deininger says. “I became very disappointed about American consumer culture being exported all over the world. It clearly seemed like a temporary solution with long term deleterious consequence.”

Among the birds depicted in Deininger's work are a wild maccaw, endangered due to deforestation and poaching; the Carolina parakeet, hunted to extinction following an initial habitat loss; and the Ivory-billed woodpecker, native to the coniferous forests of the Southern United States and Cuba that has been listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as extinct since September 2021. While all of these birds have different appearances, colors, and textures, the artist has found a way to truthfully represent them thanks to his keen sense of observation.

“The whole thing is really a meditation on perspective and illusion and the fragility of our world view in any given emotional state,” the artist states. “The practice is also about order in chaos.”

To stay up to date with the artist's work and learn where you can see the magic of his pieces with your own eyes, make sure to follow Thomas Deininger on Instagram.

Artist Thomas Deininger plays with perspective to build anamorphic bird sculptures with a cleverly arranged mix of old plastic toys and trinkets.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger)

They appear as lifelike imitations from certain angles, but the real magic of his art sinks in once the point of view shifts.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger)

Deininger's optical illusion sculptures send a warning about how our abuse of resources is harming the natural world.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger)

While all of the birds he has depicted have different appearances, colors, and textures, the artist has found a way to truthfully represent them thanks to his keen sense of observation.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger)

“Now that I’ve been doing this a while I see parts and pieces of creatures (birds, fish, insects etc.) in all kinds of man-made materials,” Deininger says.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger)

“The whole thing is really a meditation on perspective and illusion and the fragility of our world view in any given emotional state. The practice is also about order in chaos.”

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger)

Thomas Deininger: Instagram

Sources: Thomas Deininger – Trash to Treasure; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Delisting 23 Species from Endangered Species Act Due to Extinction

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READ: Optical Illusion Bird Sculptures Made of Discarded Plastic Toys Sends an Important Environmental Message

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Sculpture Bought for $6 and Used as Doorstop Is Actually 18th-Century Marble Bust Worth $3M https://mymodernmet.com/sir-john-gordon-edme-bouchardon-bust/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Wed, 04 Dec 2024 17:35:10 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=707732 Sculpture Bought for $6 and Used as Doorstop Is Actually 18th-Century Marble Bust Worth $3M

In 1930, Scotland’s Highlands Council bought an 18th-century marble bust for £5 (about $6.35) at auction (approximately £408 or $517 in today’s money, adjusted for inflation), not realizing its rich history. Now, nearly 100 years later, the bust has been valued at an incredible £2.5 million (a little over $3 million). The bust depicts Sir […]

READ: Sculpture Bought for $6 and Used as Doorstop Is Actually 18th-Century Marble Bust Worth $3M

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Sculpture Bought for $6 and Used as Doorstop Is Actually 18th-Century Marble Bust Worth $3M
Bust of Sir John Gordon by Edmé Bouchardon

Bust of Sir John Gordon by Edmé Bouchardon, 1728. (Photo: Courtesy of the Highland Council)

In 1930, Scotland’s Highlands Council bought an 18th-century marble bust for £5 (about $6.35) at auction (approximately £408 or $517 in today’s money, adjusted for inflation), not realizing its rich history. Now, nearly 100 years later, the bust has been valued at an incredible £2.5 million (a little over $3 million).

The bust depicts Sir John Gordon, a prominent landowner and presumed founder of the town of Invergordon in Scotland. Edmé Bouchardon, a celebrated sculptor to French King Louis XV, created the remarkable portrait while Gordon was on a Grand Tour in Rome in 1728. Upon Gordon’s return to Scotland, the bust remained at Invergordon Castle and even survived a fire on the property in the 19th century.

The sculpture, however, eventually disappeared after being bought by the Highlands Council. It was later discovered in 1998 in the nearby Scottish village of Balintore, where it propped open a shed door.

Since the Bouchardon bust’s original purchase, works by Bouchardon have increased in worth. The French artist’s Neoclassical statues decorate Versailles with their splendor and elegance, while his Fountain of the Four Seasons serves as an iconic cultural landmark in Paris. Bouchardon’s significant art historical legacy contributes to the bust’s contemporary valuation, which, following its recovery from Balintore, has mostly been kept in storage by the Highlands Council.

Given its astonishing price tag, the sale of the bust could generate revenue for community projects in and around Invergordon.

“The sale of the bust has the potential to recover a significant capital receipt for Invergordon Common Good Fund which would provide investment opportunities for income generation and rejuvenation of the Common Good Fund,” the Highland Council wrote in October 2023.

To stay updated about the Bouchardon bust and its sale, visit the Highlands Council website.

A sculpture originally bought by Scotland’s Highlands Council in 1930 for £5 (about $6.35) was later stolen and then discovered in 1998 in Balintore, Scotland, where it was being used as a doorstop.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Haykoff Gallery (@haykoffgallery)

It turns out the work of art is actually an 18th-century marble bust of Sir John Gordon by French sculptor Edmé Bouchardon.

Edmé Bouchardon

Portrait of Edmé Bouchardon by François-Hubert Drouais. (Photo: Paris Musée Collection via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

It is now valued to be worth about $3 million. The Highlands Council plans to sell the Bouchardon bust to finance local community projects.

Highlands Council: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Sources: Easter Ross Area Committee members will be asked to determine next steps for historic bust; Black Isle and Easter Ross Area Committee recommend sale of Bouchardon Bust to full council

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READ: Sculpture Bought for $6 and Used as Doorstop Is Actually 18th-Century Marble Bust Worth $3M

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Loon Sculpture Brings an Uplifting Message About Nature and Purpose to the Twin Cities https://mymodernmet.com/loon-sculpture-andy-scott/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Sat, 16 Nov 2024 13:55:57 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=703991 Loon Sculpture Brings an Uplifting Message About Nature and Purpose to the Twin Cities

Loons are a symbol of Minnesota's vast wilderness—a fact that earned them the title of state bird in 1961. That's why, when artist Andy Scott was approached to design a sculpture for the city of Saint Paul, he settled on this creature. But unlike the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” loons aren't native to Scott's home […]

READ: Loon Sculpture Brings an Uplifting Message About Nature and Purpose to the Twin Cities

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Loon Sculpture Brings an Uplifting Message About Nature and Purpose to the Twin Cities
Loon Sculpture by Andy Scott in St. Paul

Photo: Visit Saint Paul, Hunter Meyer

Loons are a symbol of Minnesota's vast wilderness—a fact that earned them the title of state bird in 1961. That's why, when artist Andy Scott was approached to design a sculpture for the city of Saint Paul, he settled on this creature. But unlike the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” loons aren't native to Scott's home country of Scotland or to California, where he now lives. And so, this work, titled The Calling, became a chance for the artist to dive into the lore surrounding this bird.

“One of the lovely aspects of projects like this is that it allows me the opportunity to research the subject matter, in this case, these magnificent water birds, and learn more about them,” he tells My Modern Met.

Scott had a few considerations in mind when settling on the final design. “First of all, it had to look good and engage with people,” Scott says. “I believe too much public art is esoteric and self-referential and I aim to make work that is accessible for all. So a magnificent bird, abstracted just enough to give a Deco-inspired grandeur to the location, seemed right. It had to be structurally stable and cost-effective. It had to fit the location physically and aesthetically. It had to require minimum maintenance.”

However, one thing was certain from the beginning—it would be made of his ever-reliable stainless steel, a material the artist likes for its durability and aesthetic finish.

Bringing The Calling to life wasn't an easy task. While the design stage was pretty straightforward, translating it into a massive public artwork was more complicated.

“It was tremendously hard physical work involving a team of a dozen welders,” Scott says. “It was tricky to keep the aesthetic design on track with so many guys working across its vast form. Also, of course, we had to be very mindful of the structural engineering aspects to ensure its structural stability.”

The artist shares that the sculpture had to be freighted in over sixty sections from LA to the site in Minnesota on a convoy of twelve 55-foot semi-trailers. “It all demanded an intense degree of project management—an aspect of public art that is often overlooked.”

The name, which holds several meanings and layers, was also picked by Scott out of a list of 30 options. “The sculpture can be thought of as calling out with its distinctive whooping song, or it can be seen as calling out to the people of the Twin Cities to come to the stadium and its parklands and amenities,” the sculptor says. “Also, to have a calling in life means to have a deeper aspiration or purpose, and I liked that resonance with the city of Saint Paul, a rallying call to bring people together.”

Ultimately, Scott hopes viewers stop to take in the beauty of the loon and think about the relationship between humans and nature in today’s hectic world. “One can pontificate endlessly about the philosophical value of public art, but at the end of the day, I simply hope it elevates the everyday experience of the people of the Twin Cities,” Scott concludes. “That they might pause for a moment as they go about their busy day and think ‘wow, how lovely,' they might spend time in its ever-changing shadow and marvel at the complexity of its skin plates and how the light shines off and through it.

I hope in time it becomes symbolic for the regeneration of that particular part of Saint Paul and that people are proud of it.”

For those wishing to view the magnificent sculpture in person, The Calling is on view in St. Paul outside of Allianz Field.

Artist Andy Scott was commissioned to create a towering loon sculpture for the city of Saint Paul.

Loon Sculpture by Andy Scott in St. Paul

Photo: Visit Saint Paul, Hunter Meyer

The Calling became a chance for the artist to truly dive in the lore surrounding this bird.

Loon Sculpture by Andy Scott in St. Paul

Photo: Visit Saint Paul, Hunter Meyer

The sculpture had to be freighted in over sixty sections from LA to the site in Minnesota on a convoy of twelve 55-foot semi-trailers.

Loon Sculpture by Andy Scott in St. Paul

Photo: Visit Saint Paul, Hunter Meyer

Ultimately, Scott hopes viewers stop to take in the beauty of the loon and think about the relationship between humans and nature in today’s hectic world.

Loon Sculpture by Andy Scott in St. Paul

Photo: Visit Saint Paul, Hunter Meyer

“I hope in time it becomes symbolic for the regeneration of that particular part of Saint Paul and that people are proud of it.”

Loon Sculpture by Andy Scott in St. Paul

Photo: Visit Saint Paul, Hunter Meyer

Andy Scott: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Visit Saint Paul. Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

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READ: Loon Sculpture Brings an Uplifting Message About Nature and Purpose to the Twin Cities

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Massive Pigeon Sculpture Perched on the High Line Overlooks NYC https://mymodernmet.com/pigeon-sculpture-dinosaur-ivan-argote/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Thu, 14 Nov 2024 20:20:26 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=704969 Massive Pigeon Sculpture Perched on the High Line Overlooks NYC

At 30th Street and 10th Avenue, in New York City, a new monumental beast has taken over. This imposing creature is none other than an oversized pigeon, but one with an insightful message about legacy, perception, and future worlds. Created by artist Iván Argote, the 16-foot sculpture titled Dinosaur imposingly looks over the city's busy […]

READ: Massive Pigeon Sculpture Perched on the High Line Overlooks NYC

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Massive Pigeon Sculpture Perched on the High Line Overlooks NYC
Pigeon sculpture perched atop the High Line with cars driving underneath

Iván Argote, “Dinosaur,” 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. (Photo: Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.)

At 30th Street and 10th Avenue, in New York City, a new monumental beast has taken over. This imposing creature is none other than an oversized pigeon, but one with an insightful message about legacy, perception, and future worlds. Created by artist Iván Argote, the 16-foot sculpture titled Dinosaur imposingly looks over the city's busy streets atop the High Line.

“For almost 20 years, I have worked about different dynamics in public spaces, exploring how we relate to others and our connection with the city,” Argote tell My Modern Met.”I’ve also spent a lot of time questioning the meaning and symbolism of the monuments we have. Throughout this journey, pigeons have been an omnipresent figure. I created several videos featuring them and explored their unique attitude and our strange relationship with them.”

That's why, when the artist was thinking about a proposal for the High Line Plinth, he thought it would be interesting to make a pigeon the star of the show. “Through this, I wanted to raise questions about our relationship with other species in the city, with marginality, and what an iconic monument for New York in the 21st century might look like,” Argote says. “Pigeons are intelligent; they have a humorous attitude and incredible capabilities. They can navigate almost as if they have GPS, are very loyal, and are highly adaptive. You can find dozens of videos online showing pigeons doing amazing things. It’s easy to be inspired by them.”

To him, naming the piece Dinosaur has the goal of expanding the meaning and opening up new interpretations. “Like them, one day we won’t be around anymore, but perhaps a remnant of humanity will live on—as pigeons do—in the dark corners and gaps of future worlds. I feel this sculpture could generate an uncanny feeling of attraction, seduction, and fear among the inhabitants of New York.”

Argote explains that in art history, many sculptures play with scale, altering our relationship with a subject. “I wanted to connect pigeons with their ancestors—pigeons, like all birds, are what remain of the dinosaurs. There’s also this idea that dinosaurs once dominated the world, which I wanted to parody,” he admits. “This notion of a single species ‘dominating' the world is a very human perspective. By enlarging the pigeon, I wanted to invert the scale relationship, so now it’s the pigeon looking down at us.”

Making this piece a reality took Argote several years of research, not only about pigeons themselves but also about sculpting techniques. “It’s very complex to produce a sculpture of this size and with such detail!” Argote confesses. Ultimately, he worked on the project for almost five years, while producing the sculpture took a year and a half.

In the end, he just hopes some of the ideas around Dinosaur resonate with people. “It’s also a joyful piece, and I hope it brings people joy as well. I feel that’s especially important right now.” The sculpture will be in view on the High Line through spring 2026.

To stay up to date with the artist, you can follow Iván Argote on Instagram.

Artist Iván Argote created a massive pigeon sculpture that looks over New York City's busy streets from its perch on the High Line.

Pigeon sculpture perched atop the High Line with a street underneath

Iván Argote, “Dinosaur,” 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. (Photo: Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.)

Titled Dinosaur, the piece sends an insightful message about legacy, perception, and future worlds.

Detail of Pigeon sculpture perched atop the High Line

Iván Argote, “Dinosaur,” 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. (Photo: Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.)

Argote explains that in art history, many sculptures play with scale, altering our relationship with a subject, which he aimed to do with pigeons.

Pigeon sculpture perched atop the High Line

Iván Argote, “Dinosaur,” 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. (Photo: Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.)

“I wanted to connect pigeons with their ancestors—pigeons, like all birds, are what remain of the dinosaurs. There’s also this idea that dinosaurs once dominated the world, which I wanted to parody.”

Pigeon sculpture perched atop the High Line

Iván Argote, “Dinosaur,” 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. (Photo: Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.)

“This notion of a single species ‘dominating' the world is a very human perspective. By enlarging the pigeon, I wanted to invert the scale relationship, so now it’s the pigeon looking down at us.”

Pigeon sculpture perched atop the High Line

Iván Argote, “Dinosaur,” 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. (Photo: Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.)

Ivan Argote: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by The High Line.

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READ: Massive Pigeon Sculpture Perched on the High Line Overlooks NYC

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Jaume Plensa’s Giant Mesh Steel Sculptures Hauntingly Request Silence in Historic Gothic Building https://mymodernmet.com/jaume-plensa-la-llotja/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Thu, 14 Nov 2024 18:30:10 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=705134 Jaume Plensa’s Giant Mesh Steel Sculptures Hauntingly Request Silence in Historic Gothic Building

Spanish artist Jaume Plensa has brought his monumental sculptures inside one of Palma de Mallorca's most historic buildings. The 15th-century La Llotja is now home to Plensa's Mirall (meaning “mirror” in Catalan), an exhibition that reflects on the dualities of the world. In it, two 23-foot-tall stainless steel sculptures have been erected under its vaulted […]

READ: Jaume Plensa’s Giant Mesh Steel Sculptures Hauntingly Request Silence in Historic Gothic Building

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Jaume Plensa’s Giant Mesh Steel Sculptures Hauntingly Request Silence in Historic Gothic Building

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

Spanish artist Jaume Plensa has brought his monumental sculptures inside one of Palma de Mallorca's most historic buildings. The 15th-century La Llotja is now home to Plensa's Mirall (meaning “mirror” in Catalan), an exhibition that reflects on the dualities of the world. In it, two 23-foot-tall stainless steel sculptures have been erected under its vaulted ceiling, blending the contemporary with this fine example of Catalan Gothic architecture.

The sculptures, titled Invisible Laura and Invisibile Rui Rui, face each other with their backs to the main door. Each holds a finger to their lips, signaling for silence. The stainless steel mesh used in the sculptures gives them a ghostly appearance. Though decidedly part of the space, they are also easily penetrated by their surroundings. We see them, but we also see through them in a way that plays into Plensa's concept of duality.

“This is a project with which I reflect on the dualities of the world,” the artist shares. “Janus was one of the main gods in ancient Roman religion. He was a divinity with two faces: one looking to the past and the other to the future. The reflection of our face in the mirror, in the faces of others, lovers and friends, strangers and acquaintances.

“Men and women sharing their faces in the most generous of our acts. The duality of body and shadow, of day and night, of joy and pain… The duality of all our dreams still waiting to materialize in the reflection of a mirror.”

Plensa's musings on duality are appropriate to the space. La Llotja was built as the headquarters of the Merchant's Association and was also used as a fish market. More recently, it has been home to contemporary exhibitions, with Plensa being the third artist to show his work there since 2023. As this historic monument embraces its new role in contemporary art, it bridges the old and the new.

Mirall will remain on view at Palma de Mallorca's La Llotja until February 15, 2025.

Spanish artist Jaume Plensa brings his monumental sculptures inside one of Palma de Mallorca's most historic buildings.

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

Mirall is staged inside the 15th-century La Llotja, a fine example of Catalan Gothic architecture.

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

Two 23-foot-tall stainless steel sculptures have been erected under its vaulted ceiling and sit facing each other.

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

“This is a project with which I reflect on the dualities of the world,” shares the artist.

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

The exhibition is on view until February 15, 2025.

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

"Mirall" by Jaume Plensa at La Llotja

Jaume Plensa: Website | Instagram

All images via Juan Gavilán. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by La Llotja.

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READ: Jaume Plensa’s Giant Mesh Steel Sculptures Hauntingly Request Silence in Historic Gothic Building

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Artist Creates Unexpectedly Edible Sculptures Made Out of Colorful Sugar https://mymodernmet.com/joseph-marr-sculptures-sugar/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Sat, 09 Nov 2024 14:50:36 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=698708 Artist Creates Unexpectedly Edible Sculptures Made Out of Colorful Sugar

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_) Confectioners around the world love to work with sugar. After all, this material can be used to create desserts that marry both great taste and an alluring design. Berlin-based artist Joseph Marr has turned sugar on its head, creating sculptures with […]

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Artist Creates Unexpectedly Edible Sculptures Made Out of Colorful Sugar

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_)

Confectioners around the world love to work with sugar. After all, this material can be used to create desserts that marry both great taste and an alluring design. Berlin-based artist Joseph Marr has turned sugar on its head, creating sculptures with sugar due to its unique visual features. These aren't detailed desserts but rather works of art meant to be admired—and resisted.

Many sculptures work with materials such as clay or marble, but to Marr, these traditional resources weren't cutting it. “The visual aspect of [sugar] is that it's just very attractive,” the artist told Great Big Story. “It's just colorful, glass-like material. Makes you want to touch it and eat it, and have it. And that's quite interesting as a substance because paint doesn't do that, bronze doesn't do that, but you have an experience of sugar daily.”

The artist draws a connection between glucose and a shifting identity within ourselves throughout the day. “From being sleepy to excited, from wanting—wanting more money, wanting more power, wanting more security in your life. Those wants are represented really well with sugar, so it's quite like this ubiquitous material that says a lot.”

The material complements the message of desire nicely, particularly in pieces such as Vanitas and Vania vs. Vania, which explore the fleeting nature of life through female bodies.

But for all the visual allure of sugar, Marr never expected people to try to eat his sculpture. The idea was so distant that many of his pieces have been exhibited without a protective encasing. After seeing people licking the artwork, he remembered thinking, “What are you doing? You don't know who's licked it before. Like, what?” adding the sobering thought that nobody gave it a second thought. “It was weird.”

Yet, the artist loves the look on viewers' faces when they realize the sculptures in front of them are made of sugar. To him, knowing what it's made of brings the audience closer to the work.

However, it's not all about taking and wanting; after all, sugar can be fragile, too. Marr's latest piece, Open Heart, is an 800 kg sugar sculpture of a human heart. But rather than trying to get a sweet kick out of it, viewers were meant to give back to it. To keep it from melting, viewers had to ride generator bikes to power its air conditioner. The piece was on view until October 6 at Berlin's Park am Gleisdreieck.

To stay up to date with Marr's sugar sculptures, you can follow him on Instagram.

Berlin-based artist Joseph Marr creates visually alluring sculptures made out of an unexpected material—sugar.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_)

Many sculptures work with other materials such as clay or marble, but to Marr, these traditional resources weren't cutting it.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_)

“The visual aspect of [sugar] is that it's just very attractive,” the artist said. “It's just colorful, glass-like material. Makes you want to touch it and eat it, and have it.”

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_)

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_)

But for all the visual allure of sugar, Marr never expected people to try to eat his sculpture. “It was weird,” he said.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_)

Marr's latest piece, Open Heart, is an 800 kg sugar sculpture of a human heart. Viewers were meant to save it by jumping on a generator bike to power its air conditioner.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Joseph Marr (@joseph_marr_)

Learn more about Marr's use of sugar to create his sculptures and his thoughts on people's reactions to the art.

Joseph Marr: Website | Instagram

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READ: Artist Creates Unexpectedly Edible Sculptures Made Out of Colorful Sugar

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Underwater Sculptures in Grenada Act as Artificial Reefs While Sending an Important Message About Climate Change https://mymodernmet.com/jason-decaires-taylor-world-adrift/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:45:48 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=703025 Underwater Sculptures in Grenada Act as Artificial Reefs While Sending an Important Message About Climate Change

For nearly 20 years, sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has been creating evocative underwater installations that speak to the environmental hardships our seas face. By creating these underwater museums, Taylor not only sends a strong message but also establishes new ecosystems for marine life. His latest installation, A World Adrift, continues his work in Grenada by […]

READ: Underwater Sculptures in Grenada Act as Artificial Reefs While Sending an Important Message About Climate Change

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Underwater Sculptures in Grenada Act as Artificial Reefs While Sending an Important Message About Climate Change

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

For nearly 20 years, sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has been creating evocative underwater installations that speak to the environmental hardships our seas face. By creating these underwater museums, Taylor not only sends a strong message but also establishes new ecosystems for marine life. His latest installation, A World Adrift, continues his work in Grenada by sinking 30 boat sculptures in the waters off the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Each boat, guided by representations of local school children, symbolizes the uncertain waters of the future. Work on the project began in 2023 to call attention to the unique vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) due to rising sea levels, warming seas, and extreme weather events. The urgency of Taylor's work was put starkly into view when Hurricane Beryl hit the area in July, leaving destruction in its wake.

Still, Taylor and his team pushed forward with the installation, which was commissioned by the Grenadian Tourism Commission. They worked diligently to secure the sculptures 13 feet underwater, securing them with rigging that will act as coral and sponge nurseries. Made from marine-grade stainless steel and pH-neutral green cement, the sculptures will serve as an artificial reef for marine life while also acting as reminders of the ecosystem's fragile nature.

This fragility is symbolized by the origami boats the children steer as they look forward to the possibility of a bleak future in the face of these challenges. In some boats, sails bear the grim statistics of climate change, ominous reminders of global warming. But at the same time, these sculptures also provide hope for a brighter future in their role as artificial reefs, with Taylor calling them “symbolic arks in an era of ecological urgency.”

Scroll down for more images from the haunting installation, as well as a video that shows the installation and the faces of the local schoolchildren featured in the sculptures. If you wish to see it in person, A World Adrift is visible to snorkelers and divers who take a short boat trip from the coastline of Hillsborough in Carriacou.

A World Adrift is a new underwater sculpture installation by Jason deCaires Taylor in the waters of Grenada.

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

The installation was placed 13 feet underwater, off the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

It consists of 30 sculptures of origami boats guided by representations of local school children.

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

The work calls attention to the unique vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) due to climate issues.

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

The sculptures, which are made of marine-grade stainless steel and pH-neutral green cement, will serve as artificial reefs.

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

In some boats, sails bear the grim statistics of climate change, ominous reminders of global warming.

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

A World Adrift by Jason deCaires Taylor

At the same time, these sculptures also provide hope for a brighter future in their role as artificial reefs, with Taylor calling them “symbolic arks in an era of ecological urgency.”

Jason deCaires Taylor: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Jason deCaires Taylor.

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READ: Underwater Sculptures in Grenada Act as Artificial Reefs While Sending an Important Message About Climate Change

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Alex Chinneck Brings a Playful “Twist” to Urban Objects With Surreal Metal Sculptures https://mymodernmet.com/alex-chinneck-sculptures/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Wed, 30 Oct 2024 19:20:32 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=702376 Alex Chinneck Brings a Playful “Twist” to Urban Objects With Surreal Metal Sculptures

British artist Alex Chinneck creates surreal public sculptures that challenge our perception of reality. His works transform familiar urban objects—like phone booths, street lamps, and post boxes—into whimsical, twisted forms, as if a giant hand has reshaped them in a moment of mischief. Chinneck’s metal sculptures are showcased at Assembly Bristol, the city’s new waterfront […]

READ: Alex Chinneck Brings a Playful “Twist” to Urban Objects With Surreal Metal Sculptures

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Alex Chinneck Brings a Playful “Twist” to Urban Objects With Surreal Metal Sculptures

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

British artist Alex Chinneck creates surreal public sculptures that challenge our perception of reality. His works transform familiar urban objects—like phone booths, street lamps, and post boxes—into whimsical, twisted forms, as if a giant hand has reshaped them in a moment of mischief.

Chinneck’s metal sculptures are showcased at Assembly Bristol, the city’s new waterfront office complex. Just outside “Building A,” a classic British phone box titled Wring Ring stands with its body spiraling in a bold 720-degree twist. Casting light onto the street at night, it captivates passersby with its mind-boggling form.

In a similar style, a red post box titled Alphabetti Spaghetti appears stretched and twisted into a huge knot, as if made from malleable rubber. Additionally, two pairs of knotted lamp posts bring a playful charm to the area. The first pair is tied into an oversized bow, while the second pair twists tightly around each other in a close embrace, which Chinneck named First Kiss at Last Light.

“This family of steel sculptures looks to connect key points and sight lines across Assembly, inviting visitors to come to and move through the site,” says Chinneck. “Their playful, yet technically complex, elevation of everyday objects into surreal sculptures hopes to contribute an uplifting personality and unique identity to Assembly. The illuminated lamp posts are my first steps into function, bridging public art and civic design.”

Check out the artist's twisted and tied sculptures below and find more of his fantastical work by following Alex Chinneck on Instagram.

British artist Alex Chinneck creates surreal public sculptures that give familiar urban objects a literal twist.

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Street lamps, phone booths, and more are reimagined as twisted and tied forms.

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

It's as if a giant hand has reshaped them in a moment of mischief.

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Each piece might look soft and pliable, but they’re actually crafted from solid stainless steel.

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Twisted Sculptures by Alex Chinneck

Alex Chinneck: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Alex Chinneck.

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READ: Alex Chinneck Brings a Playful “Twist” to Urban Objects With Surreal Metal Sculptures

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Explore a 16th-Century Italian Sculpture Garden Known as the “Park of the Monsters” https://mymodernmet.com/sacro-bosco-park-of-monsters/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Tue, 29 Oct 2024 19:20:47 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=701936 Explore a 16th-Century Italian Sculpture Garden Known as the “Park of the Monsters”

Tucked away in the forests and hills of Bomarzo, Italy, you’ll find Sacro Bosco, or as it’s famously known, Park of the Monsters. This 16th-century garden got its nickname due to the dozens of sculptures scattered throughout its seven acres, each depicting mythical creatures that seem to emerge from the earth itself. Sacro Bosco is […]

READ: Explore a 16th-Century Italian Sculpture Garden Known as the “Park of the Monsters”

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Explore a 16th-Century Italian Sculpture Garden Known as the “Park of the Monsters”
Sacro Bosco

The “Mouth of Hell.” (Photo: Daderot via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Tucked away in the forests and hills of Bomarzo, Italy, you’ll find Sacro Bosco, or as it’s famously known, Park of the Monsters. This 16th-century garden got its nickname due to the dozens of sculptures scattered throughout its seven acres, each depicting mythical creatures that seem to emerge from the earth itself.

Sacro Bosco is thought to be the oldest sculpture park in the modern world, commissioned by Pier Francesco Orsini (1523-1585), the Duke of Bomarzo at the time and an avid art lover. Some historians believe that after the passing of his wife, Orsini created this garden as a way to cope with his grief, filling it with mysterious sculptures that perhaps reflected his own emotions.

Dedicating gardens to loved ones was a common gesture among 16th-century aristocrats, but the Sacro Bosco is far from an ordinary Renaissance garden. Its winding, maze-like paths invite visitors to wander among surreal statues representing figures from the underworld and Greek mythology.

Along the way, visitors meet a statue of Cerberus, the three-headed guardian of the underworld’s gates. The enchanting landscape also features towering statues of Glaucus, the Greek sea god; Neptune, the Roman god of the sea and freshwater; and Echidna, a half-woman, half-snake creature from Greek mythology.

One of the park’s most famous sculptures is Mouth of Hell, a frightening stone face with an open mouth, inviting visitors inside. Orsini reportedly held dinner parties inside the sculpture. “[Its] mouth makes the door, and the windows are the eyes; and inside the tongue is used as the table, and the teeth as the seats,” a 16th-century visitor recalled. “And when one lays dinner with candles lit among the drinks, from a distance it appears as the most frightful visage.”

The mystery of the park remains unsolved, since no written records exist to explain Orsini’s vision. “No receipts, account books, or commission documents survive to tell us about the Sacro Bosco’s creation,” says John Garton, an art historian at Clark University and the co-author of an upcoming book about the garden.

Garton describes Sacro Bosco as “rambling woods filled with surprises, frightful beasts, and ancient ruins.” And while not all the sculptures are terrifying, the art historian believes “some features in the garden are meant to haunt the visitor’s memory.”

Following Orsini’s death in the mid-1580s, Sacro Bosco remained largely untouched for centuries. It wasn’t until after World War II that the garden was rediscovered, attracting the attention of famous figures like Italian critic Mario Praz, Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí, and French poet Jean Cocteau, who celebrated the garden’s mystique in their works.

Today, anyone with a ticket can visit Sacro Bosco and immerse themselves in the fantastical landscape. If you want to experience its haunting beauty firsthand, check out the Sacro Bosco webiste for more information.

Sacro Bosco in Italy is a 16th-century sculpture garden filled with surreal statues of mythical creatures.

Sacro Bosco

A statue of Glaucus, the Greek sea god. (Photo: Albarubescens via Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0)

Sacro Bosco

A statue of Cerberus, the three-headed guard of the gates of the underworld. (Photo: Albarubescens via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

It was commissioned by Pier Francesco Orsini, the Duke of Bomarzo at the time and an avid art lover.

Art historians believe he created the garden as a way to cope with his grief after the death of his wife.

The park's winding, maze-like paths invite visitors to wander among surreal statues representing figures from the underworld and Greek mythology.

Watch surrealist artist Salvador Dalí explore the park in 1948.

Sacro Bosco: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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READ: Explore a 16th-Century Italian Sculpture Garden Known as the “Park of the Monsters”

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