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In the autumn of 2009, the Royal Academy of Arts will hold a major
solo exhibition of the internationally acclaimed artist and 1991
Turner Prize winner Anish Kapoor. Kapoor is regarded as one of the
most influential and pioneering sculptors of his generation and
is celebrated for works which enter into a profound spiritual engagement
with the viewer such as the early pigment sculptures; 1000 Names
(1979-80), Marsyas (2002) part of the Unilever Series at the Turbine
Hall, Tate Modern, and Sky Mirror, installed at the Rockefeller
Centre, New York in 2006.
This
exhibition will survey Kapoors career to date as well as showcase
new and previously unseen works. One of the highlights of the exhibition
will be the monumental work Svayambh, (a Sanskrit word which roughly
translates as "auto-generated"). The work has the appearance
of a vast mass of wax that moves almost imperceptibly on sunken
rails leaving a residue in its wake as it traverses the breadth
of Burlington House. This emblematic work reflects Kapoors
exploration of sculptural works that actively participate in their
own formation.
Another
highlight of the exhibition is Shooting into the Corner (2009),
which will be displayed in the Large Weston and Small Weston Rooms.
A cannon will shoot projectiles of red wax into a corner at regular
intervals. Relentlessly repeating this action, the work will evolve
over the duration of the exhibition as the build up of wax takes
on its own form against the walls and the floor of the galleries.
The spectacle surrounding the firing of the cannon and the accumulation
of the wax produces a work of extraordinary complexity & drama.
Also included in the exhibition will be a group of early pigment
pieces, stainless steel reflective sculptures as well as newly created
works, including a major new sculpture, which will be sited in the
Annenberg Courtyard.
About Anish Kapoor
Born
in India, 1954, Anish Kapoor studied at Hornsey College of Art,
London (1973 1977) and at Chelsea School of Art, London (1977
1978). Kapoors first solo exhibition was held at Patrice
Alexandre, Paris in 1980. His international reputation was quickly
established, with an array of solo exhibitions held in countries
around the world. Kapoor represented Britain in the Paris Biennale
in 1982, and again in 1990 at the Venice Biennale, for which he
was awarded Premio Duemila. The following year he won the prestigious
Turner Prize Award. Anish Kapoor has recently acted as Guest Artistic
Director of the Brighton Festival 2009.
Kapoor was elected Royal Academician in 1999 and has been awarded
Honorary Fellowships by the London Institute and Leeds University
(1997), University of Wolverhampton (1999) and the Royal Institute
of British Architects (2001). He lives and works in London.
The exhibition is curated by the independent curator Jean de Loisy
in conjunction with Dr Adrian Locke, Exhibitions Curator, Royal
Academy of Arts. Supported by Richard and Victoria Sharp & The
Henry Moore Foundation
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