Six huge bronze sculptures by Daniel Arsham are currently being installed on the grounds of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, in the north of England. The works, collectively titled “Relics in the Landscape”, are intended to work in dialogue with the vast, green surroundings of the park, which has been uninhabited for centuries.
Marking the first museum show of Arsham’s work to take place in the UK, the pieces are typical of his aesthetic. Each of the bronze sculptures will be shown outdoors in the 18th-century Formal Garden – ranging from the “Bronze Extraterrestrial Bicycle” to the three-meter tall Bronze Eroded Venus of Arles.
In terms of his inspiration, Arsham once again looked to his childhood experience of surviving Hurricane Andrew in 1992. As a result of the storm, his family home was destroyed – something that you can see through his pieces, which take on a decayed form and texture. Some pieces are formed from the original foundry molds of some of France’s most iconic classical sculptures displayed in the Louvre, most notably the “Unearthed Bronze Eroded Melpomene” (2021). “As history progresses, all objects become antiquated and in some way, they all become ruins or relics, disused or buried,” he says. “In 1,000 years everything that we own will inevitably become one of those things. I don’t particularly see that as having an apocalyptic quality – it’s sort of just the march of time moving on.”
He continues:
“I first visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park a couple of years ago and was struck by the way sculptures would connect with the landscape there: the rolling hills, the changing seasons and the interaction of the work with the natural light, lakes, and surroundings.
I immediately started thinking about a project I could embark on in the landscape that would allow my work to take advantage of the unique context presented there. The works I’m showing vary in scale, some are presented in an open garden and others are concealed or hidden within the woodland, for viewers to discover.”
Daniel Arsham: Relics in the Landscape is on show at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park now. In other art news, Jenny Holzer is examining “Demented Words” at Hauser & Wirth in New York.
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