Yesterday, in my lunch break, I speed-walked up Saville Row (Whilst smoking a fag) to the Royal Academy of Arts to see the new Anish Kapoor exhibition. Luckily I didn't have to spend 12 quid to get in, as my mate Nicky got me in for free! (Cheers Nick!) In the Annenberg Courtyard is the 'Tall tree and the eye', a major new sculpture, a cluster of giant mirrored stainless-steel balls reflecting and distorting its surroundings.
I really went to see the monumental work 'Svayambh', the title of which comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘self-generated’. Svayambh is a monstrous and sinister piece which moves slowly through the galleries across the entire breadth of Burlington House. Because of its size and colour, It made me think of a train heading to Auschwitz or death train full of people compacted together to form a large block of moving flesh, squeezing its way through the galleries large ornate doorways on its way to hell. This all might sound a bit dark, but it is actually quite beautiful.
I also wanted to see 'Shooting in the corner', which consists of a gas powered cannon firing (every 20 mins) large amounts of burgundy coloured 'gunk' through a gallery archway that will build up against the walls and floor over next 3 months.
Other pieces include, a number of new and previously unseen works, a select group of Kapoor’s early pigment sculptures, beguiling mirror-polished stainless-steel sculptures and cement sculptures on display for the first time.
The Anish Kapoor exhibition is at the Royal Academy of Arts until 11th December 2009.
