Architecture as air
It’s perhaps not surprising that the work of an architect who describes the Barbican’s The Curve gallery as ‘melting endlessly into space’ is delicate and ethereally minimalist.
The architect in question is Japan-based Junya Ishigami, whose first UK installation will take place at The Curve gallery next month. The installation, which has been devised in response to the shape of the London gallery, comprises of a single curved line of 4m columns that appear as though they are floating without support. The columns stretch across the entire 80m length of the space, and only give away their transparent structural support when you scrutinize them closely.
Known for his precision, experimental approach and honed architectural research, Ishigami often creates a sense of weightlessness and balance in his work. Previous projects have included a four-storey aluminium balloon which was floated within the atrium of Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art, despite weighing a whopping ton, and the delicate flora-covered Japanese Pavilion for the 2008 Venice Biennale.
The installation will inhabit the gallery until October and will be accompanied by a series of talks including the opportunity to hear Ishigami talk about the inspiration behind the installation on 28 June.
Architecture as Air runs atThe Curve, Barbican Art Gallery, London from 28 June-16 October.
Thank you Laura Snoad…i love your gallery