Black is the new white – the upper gallery of the Marian Goodman Gallery in Soho, London, has turned black, with the light from the rooflights reflected off the polished black floor tiles.
In the centre is a marble reproduction of the legs of Michaelangelo’s David, also reflected in the polished floor and plinth by Argentinian sculptor Adrian Villar Rojas (born 1980). The white forms and the reflections contrasting with the black creates ever-changing kaleidoscopic effect as you walk round thr gallery.
Downstairs, Italian Giovanni Anselmo (born 1934) also used stone, but in a much more natural way with blocks thrown across the floor and hanging on the wall as he explores the intangible forces of nature, including gravity, in the space in the gallery. Anselmo has said that the inspiration behind his work was an experience he had on the summit of the volcano in Stromboli in 1965 when he saw his shadow stretching out into infinity and, from that time, his work focused on the natural forces and energy of our world.
Two artists from different generations, responding to the architecture of the gallery spaces in different ways. They have both represented their countries at the Venice Biennale.