Border crossings: a new show pairs the work of Hanne Darboven and Kishio Suga
Dia Art Foundation strikes a perfect balance in pairing the late German conceptualist Hanne Darboven with Kishio Suga, founder of Mono-ha (School of Things) and Japan’s foremost sculptor in the latter's first solo museum exhibition in the US. Both are closely aligned to cultural and societal movements that defined the 1960s and 70s, a period that saw the emergence of post-minimalism, land art and arte povera, and a focus of Dia’s collection.
Hanne Darboven’s Kulturgeschichte 1880–1983, a reinstallation of her magnum opus, consists of 1,590 sheets in a grid formation. Filtering personal history alongside a sweeping record of historical events, weaving in cultural and social issues of the day, Darboven used everyday objects, found materials, photographs and newsworthy items such as Der Spiegel covers with 19 strategically placed sculptural elements.
Darboven referred to herself as a writer, but dismantled the written word. She devised Konstruktionen, a series of complex linear numeric concepts (influenced by her musical training) used as a non-descriptive artificial language for transcribing words. Darboven’s inventiveness didn’t stop there. Concerns with time and space lead to the formation of patterned text images handwritten in a cursive script, a u-shaped letter, repeated multiple times.
Next door, Kishio Suga’s Law of Halted Space (2016) is a commissioned, site-specific installation that responds to the building’s natural surroundings. A group of wooden rods of varying height spaced irregularly are bound with steel to create an interdependent stable network. Arranged to resemble a labyrinth, visitors can duck under for a meditative walkthrough. Earlier works show Suga’s concern with balance in countering external forces and his use of elemental materials.
INFORMATION
’Hanne Darboven: Kulturgeschichte 1880–1983’ and ’Kishio Suga’ are on view until 29 July 2017. For more information, visit the Dia:Chelsea website
ADDRESS
Dia:Chelsea
541 and 545 West 22nd St
New York, NY 10011
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Find yourself at Six Senses Kyoto, the brand's breathtaking Japan debut
Six Senses Kyoto opens its doors boasting tranquil, luxurious interiors by Blink Design Group
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Shigeru Ban’s mini Paper Log House welcomed at The Glass House
'Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House' is shown at The Glass House in New Canaan, USA as the house museum of American architect Philip Johnson plays host to the Japanese architect’s model temporary home concept
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Artist Mickalene Thomas wrestles with notions of Black beauty, female empowerment and love
'Mickalene Thomas: All About Love’, a touring exhibition, considers Black female representation
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Peter Blake’s sculptures spark joy at Waddington Custot in London
‘Peter Blake: Sculpture and Other Matters’, at London's Waddington Custot, spans six decades of the artist's career
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Oozing, squidgy, erupting forms come alive at Hayward Gallery
‘When Forms Come Alive: Sixty Years of Restless Sculpture’ at Hayward Gallery, London, is a group show full of twists and turns
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Olafur Eliasson inaugurates Azabudai Hills Gallery in Tokyo
Olafur Eliasson marks launch of Azabudai Hills Gallery, in Tokyo’s major new district, with a show of elemental strength
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
New glass sculpture creates a verdant wonderland at Apple’s Cupertino HQ
‘Mirage’ at Apple Park is the work of Zeller & Moye and artist Katie Paterson, a shimmering array of glass columns that snakes through the grounds of the company’s monumental HQ
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Man Ray’s sculptures go on show in New York
‘Man Ray: Other Objects’ opens at Luxembourg + Co, New York, revealing their author’s ‘artistic revolution’
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Photographer David Abrahams captures quiet moments in Japan for his new London show
‘Kyushu’ is a new show from photographer David Abrahams that documents his trip to a town on the Japanese island
By Mary Cleary Published
-
The best London art exhibitions to see now
Your guide to the best London art exhibitions, as chosen by the Wallpaper* arts desk
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Erwin Wurm’s pop-coloured fantasy land at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
In Erwin Wurm’s first UK museum show, ‘Trap of the Truth’, the artist transforms Yorkshire Sculpture Park into a slightly warped wonderland (10 June 2023 – 28 April 2024)
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published