ART-PRESENTATION:On Surface
The surface of an object may be alluring or repellent, nondescript or exciting. It is our first impression. It invites us to contemplate, grasp and interpret. The exhibition “On Surface” presents how the surface and its meaning in sculpture have changed over time, presenting eminent examples from the 20th Century with key works by pioneers of Modernity.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Lehmbruck Museum Archive
Organized as an historical survey the exhibition “On Surface: From Rodin to De Bruyckere. The Surface as a Carrier of Meaning in Sculpture” also provides insights into how the perception and connotation of surfaces and of superficiality have changed since the pioneers of Modernity liberated form in sculpture. The exhibition starts with examples from the 20th Century, including key works by the pioneers of modernity Auguste Rodin, Medardo Rosso, Constantin Brâncuși, and Wilhelm Lehmbruck that serve as reference points for a shift of focus to the today. According to the organizers, the show was “Inspired by the omnipresence of the surfaces of digital devices, by the aesthetics of smoothness and the desire to penetrate the surface”. Key works presented in the exhibition include Rodin’s life-sized bronze sculpture “Eva” (1881) and Medardo Rosso’s wax sculpture “La Portinaia” (1883/84), The 21st Century is marked by works by Georg Baselitz, Julian Opie, Carsten Nicolai, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Rebecca Horn, and Berlinde de Bruyckere. The exhibition was inspired by the omnipresence of the surfaces of digital devices, by the aesthetics of smoothness and the desire to penetrate the surface. The title plays on different associations with the term surface: it is primarily about the manifestation of the surface of an artwork as one of its essential artistic qualities. The second reading suggested by the title is that of superficiality – that which seems to resist any attempt to discover a deeper meaning. The superficial is that which can be grasped immediately, it is the first impression that will linger in our memory
Info: Curator: Dr. Söke Dinkla, Lehmbruck Museum, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Straße 40, Duisburg, Duration: 2/7-23/11/16, Days & Hours: Tue-Fri 12:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00, www.lehmbruckmuseum.de
