The best exhibition that you will never see
THE controversial painting of President Jacob Zuma is not the only artwork in the news – a gallery in England is set to stretch the definition of art with an exhibition of “invisible” works.
To its critics, modern art may often seem to have nothing to it. But rarely is that literally the case. A chance to admire the empty rooms, empty plinths and blank canvasses will set you back £8 (R107) a head.
Visitors will be asked to look beyond “material objects” and “set their imaginations on fire” at London’s Hayward gallery.
The exhibition, opening on June 12, will feature Andy Warhol’s 1985 piece Invisible Sculpture, consisting of an empty plinth.
Another exhibit, 1 000 Hours of Staring, is a blank piece of paper at which artist Tom Friedman has stared repeatedly for five years.
The same artist is behind Untitled (A Curse), an empty space which is said to have been cursed by a witch.
It is thought to be the first such exhibition staged at a major institution in the UK and is likely to provide further fuel to critics who see much of modern art as a case of the “emperor’s new clothes”.
But Ralph Rugoff, director of the Hayward Gallery, said: “I think visitors will find that there is plenty to see and experience in this exhibition of invisible art.
“This exhibition highlights that art isn’t about material objects, it’s about setting our imaginations alight, and that’s what the artists in this show do in many varied ways.”
The 50 exhibits include a work by John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono in an empty room. Also “on show” will be Invisible Labyrinth by Jeppe Heine, in which visitors negotiate an invisible maze wearing headsets that sense infra-red beams.
Rugoff added: “From the amusing to the philosophical, you will be able to explore (anything from) an invisible labyrinth that only materialises as you move, (to) an artwork that has been created by the artist staring at it for 1 000 hours…” – Daily Mail