ANATSUI IN MUNICH: TRIUMPHANT SCALE.

By Nii B. Andrews.

The breath taking oeuvre of El Anatsui spanning five decades is on display at the Haus der Kunst Museum in Munich.

The art on display encompasses every medium utilized in his extensive portfolio; bottle-cap textiles (2000s to present); wood sculptures and wall reliefs (mid-1970s to late 1990s); ceramic sculptures (late 1970s); and drawings, prints, and books.

GBEZE, ceramic and manganese, 1979.

It includes an outdoor installation on the museum’s facade specifically made for the event.

His monumental hanging sculptural works that reference hanging textiles are the backbone of this grand exhibition.

EARTH MOON, wood relief, 1993.

During his career, Anatsui has been relentless in his exploration of how the great African tradition in sculpture can be updated for our epoch.

Consequently, he has over and over again sought out new materials, idioms and novel compositional techniques; he does not stand still.

His triumph has been the convergence or morphing of sculpture and painting with a fluidity that has been groundbreaking.

STRESSED WORLD, mixed media, 2011.

The result is majestic, inspired and inspiring art on a triumphant scale….the title of the exhibition.

Anatsui told the BBC in 2015: “I think that in sculpture you can subsume all the other areas of art, like painting, because sculpture can also engage with color.” 

The same year he received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale.

FLAG FOR A NEW WORLD POWER, mixed media, 2004.

When the “Lion of Anyako” designs and creates; volume, mass, light, form and color, are all brought in sync to lift the human spirit.

TRIUMPHANT SCALE is curated by Okwui Enwezor, former director of Haus der Kunst, and Chika Okeke-Agulu, Professor at the department of Archaeology and Art History at the University of Princeton, Assistant Damian Lentini, Curator at Haus der Kunst.

 EXHIBITION HAND BOOK/ CATALOG.

It runs from March 8 – July 28 2019. 

Public guided tours cost €3 per person and do not require a reservation. 

GRAVITY AND GRACE, mixed media, 2010. Collection of the artist. Courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery.

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