nish Kapoor, British, of Indian origin, is one of the world's leading artists today. He exhibits in the world's most famous galleries and museums, and I had the opportunity to see his exhibition in Venice for the second time. This year, it was installed in parallel with the Venice Biennale, in the Manfrin Palace.
Exhibition at the Academy Gallery, Venice, 2022.
The first video in which I presented the work of Anish Kapoor was recorded in one of the most prestigious museums in Venice. The motif of the circle, for which his art is known, is contrasted with Malevich's "Black Square". He elaborated on that theme in detail by playing with the non-reflective black color, which he used to create the illusion of two-dimensionality. He guided the observer to determine if the object was truly complete or if he needed to walk around it to view it from multiple angles.
Anish Kapoor Exhibition at Palazzo Manfrin, Venice 2026.
The artist again played with these optical illusions at the exhibition. Let's begin at the beginning, as the contrast is evident from the ground floor.
The entrance hall is almost filled with piles of organic form. The stacks of material look like they came out of a broken 3D printer.
You can access the room featuring the artist's most recognizable sculptures, known for their mirror-like surfaces. One sculpture, a ball, holds a surprise and should be viewed from all angles. On its opposite side, there is a recess that creates an inverted mirror image.
Spherical and ellipsoidal polished shapes are the pinnacle of Anish Kapoor's work. He devoted himself to that game of concave/convex and perfect specular reflection/reflection cancellation using absorbent paint.
The blackest black- Vantablack
The main exhibition room in Manfrin Palace on the top floor is dedicated to a huge hanging bell, the interior of which is painted in an absorbent black Vantablack paint, made especially for the artist. When you enter the center of the space under the bell and look up, you will see perfect darkness.
The next sculpture presented in the video is an optical illusion based on the already described color, whose properties are absorption of light reflection. This means that the shape of the object cannot be guessed, but must be seen from all sides.
Red in all its shades
Next to this "directed reality experiment", you enter a room whose walls are filled with an unpleasant-looking mass. The red-black mass reminds you of some indescribable bloody events.
Red is another color that captivates Anish Kapoor. The entire room is almost filled with this color in its purest form.
Another example of red with a mirror reflection can be seen in a sculpture that belongs to the section of the exhibition dealing with unrealized projects.
Prototypes of unrealized objects are a large part of the exhibition. They mostly refer to construction projects of gigantic dimensions. Ball penetrations in rocks, earth, and pedestrian tunnels with perfect curves are awaiting realization.
