El Anatsui’s exhibition features large-scale installations, each a testament to the artist’s meticulous craftsmanship. These works are created by manually manipulating and crushing thousands of bottle caps and metal fragments, sourced from Nigeria, and then stringing them together with copper wire. This process transforms mundane materials into sculptures that are both flexible and tense, each a giant in its own right.
The exhibition is structured into three distinct acts: ‘Waves’, ‘World’, and ‘Wall’. The inaugural act, ‘Waves’, has been uniquely designed for the Pudong Art Museum. It artfully mirrors the museum’s architectural space and its geographical context. This is a pioneering effort for the museum, as it is the first time both the entrance hall and the central exhibition hall are being used simultaneously for the same exhibition, aiming to provide an immersive viewing experience.
Visitors are invited to freely explore the installations, engaging in a poetic dialogue between the materials and the space. This journey is free-flowing, allowing for an artistic exploration that is both personal and profound. The exhibition is open from September 30th to October 7th, with operating hours that may vary depending on daily conditions.
