You believe you will fall into oblivion
Anish Kapoor doesn’t do small. Even when the Vantablack circle painted on the floor is only the size of a dustbin lid, it’s the size of the meaning that should be measured, writes Michael Holland.
And this is what he said at the welcoming speech: ‘Scale isn’t about size, it’s about meaning’, so his exhibition is a combination of small pieces and huge installations that sit, squashed into various places on different levels; backed into corners and ready to burst into action. Literally, because these are ginormous inflatables, taut at the seams and fit to explode.
But there is a sense of danger elsewhere too. Entrails that could have come from sacrificed animals that ooze dark red liquid turn sections of the Hayward into an abattoir. An upside mountain resembles a stalactite in a cave, but relates to God demanding Abraham kill his own son. That, too, seemingly about to drip blood on all and sundry beneath.
But it is the Vantablack works that intrigue the most – a substance created with nanotechnology that absorbs up to 99% of the light that hits it, making it impossible to detect depth, texture or contour. You have to go to the side to see if the object is concave, only to find it is a flat painted surface. Having your brain tested in this way induces strange feelings within. So when you see the black circle on the floor you will not step on it because you believe you will fall into oblivion.
Similar sensations of oddness come from his mirror sculptures. Some turn you upside down, others have you walking left while you are walking towards the right! Truly mind-blowing. And then there are those that you just cannot work out how the artist ever thought of doing it, never mind the actual creating of it!
And that is exactly what Kapoor wants you to feel, discombobulation and imagining what lies beyond the black void.
The exhibition is interactive without actually touching the pieces – If there wasn’t a No Touch policy I would have tried to put my hand into the core of the internal organs, only to find it was a flat surface instead of a dark hole. Both the Vantablack and mirror illusions will appeal to all age groups.
Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX until October 18th.
Booking and full details: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/anish-kapoor/
