joão onofre
box sized DIE featuring Unfathomable Ruination
Opening Sculpture in The City
3 July 6pm - 8pm
St. Mary Axe, EC3A, London
Box sized DIE featuring Unfathomable Ruination, by Portuguese artist João Onofre, will be placed outside The Gherkin with a selection of Death Metal music performances taking place throughout the summer. Measuring 183 x 183 x 183cm, this steel cube come to life with a set from the London based Death Metal band, Unfathomable Ruination. Following the band’s entrance, the sculpture is hermetically sealed and sound proofed, meaning the duration of the performance is entirely variable, determined by and restricted to the length of time that oxygen is expended. Activated, the work offers an invisible show contained in a closed space. Only the residues of the sound vibrations attest to the inner performance.
This will be the first time that João Onofre’s sculpture has come to London, having toured extensively through Europe at venues including Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France; Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA), Barcelona, Spain and Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland. The sculpture takes direct influence from Tony Smith’s pioneering minimalist sculpture Die (1962) having identical dimensions to Smith’s work.
The open air exhibition that draws visitors into the City, transforming the EC3 insurance area also includes works from internationally renowned artists: Cerith Wyn Evans, Lynn Chadwick, Ben Long, Julian Wild, Nigel Hall, Paul Hosking, Peter Randall-Page, Antony Gormley, Jim Lambie and Richard Wentworth. In its fourth year, Sculpture in the City aims to enhance our urban environment with cutting-edge contemporary works from leading artists which are placed in both busy thoroughfares and quieter, green spaces.
Sculpture in the City is a unique collaboration between the City of London Corporation (the elected body which looks after the Square Mile global business district around St Paul’s), local businesses and the art world, providing the opportunity to engage new audiences with established and emerging contemporary artists. Sculpture in the City is delivered through a partnership between 30 St Mary Axe, Aon, Aviva, British Land, Brookfield Office Properties, Hiscox, Tower 42, Willis and WRBC Development UK Limited with the additional support of project patrons Leadenhall Market and MTEC.With thanks to the artists and galleries; Annely Juda Fine Art; Blain Southern; Lisson Gallery; Lucy Drury; Marlborough Contemporary; New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park; Sadie Coles HQ; White Cube; William Benington Gallery. Sculpture in the City is facilitated and delivered by the City of London Corporation.
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related articles:
http://www.euronews.com/2014/07/04/death-metal-band-in-a-black-box-equals-performance-art/
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/death-metal-band-to-play-in-soundproof-airtight-box-in-london-9572606.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho2CI6s8gds
http://video.tagesspiegel.de/3658827236001
