ART CITIES:Zurich-Angela Bulloch

Angela Bulloch’s work spans many forms, but they all manifest her interest in systems, patterns and rules, and the creative territory between mathematics and aesthetics. Since graduating from Goldsmiths’ College in 1988 her work has crystallised into a number of distinct but related strands.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Galerie Eva Presenhuber Archive

In her latest works Angela Bulloch blurs the boundary between what is 2D and 3D, she studies how the interaction with objects structures and motivates our movement in space, as well as the differences in our perception of digital and real space. In doing so, she continues her preoccupation with control systems and the need to decipher them. Her new works include lights that go on and off, thus forcing the viewer to interact with them. Like all of Angela Bulloch’s control systems, they constantly scrutinize the way we interact with pre-existing sign systems. The title of the exhibition “Space Fiction Object” evokes the idea of Science Fiction. Nonetheless it doesn’t focus on images of technology but rather on the more abstract entities space and object with which Angela Bulloch deals in a very concrete way. The exhibition features new stacked columns, large-sized wall-paintings and three paravents. The gallery is divided by a wall that serves on both sides as a surface for the wall paintings and at the same time hides a part of the gallery. In combination with the wall paintings the stacks create an illusion of digital space in the real. Despite their digital appearance and their unorganic form the columns appear to be alive. The irregular angles in the repeated rhombic form confuse the gaze and destroy the brain’s anticipation of regular geometric forms. Two of the columns are made of corian, and illuminated from within. They clearly present themselves as a couple. Referring to C.G. Jung’s archetypal concept they are titled “Anima Mary” and “Animus Adam”. Like the stacks the paravents appear animated. They are formed from rectangular MDF-plates, which are lacquered on one side and oiled on the other. The voids between them let the view pass, so that, if there is no sculpture behind the paravent, the white gallery space becomes part of the work. This feeds the spectator‘s need to move around the sculptures. Showing new wall paintings, Angela Bulloch presents a series of works that expand her preoccupation with space and object. The wall paintings, composed of monochrome surfaces, have no depth. They mirror the rhombic forms of the stacks and contrast their objectness. Again, the stereoscopic vision is disturbed: The only way to differentiate between object and surface is to move around.

Info: Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Löwenbräu Areal, Limmatstr, Zurich, Duration: 20/2-2/4/16, Days & Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-18:00, Sat 11:00-17:00, http://presenhuber.com