Antony Gormley ‘Body Politic’

Antony Gormley ‘Body Politic’ [05.12.2023] @ White Cube

On loop in the back room of the gallery is a video interview with Gormley explaining the five bodies of work that make up Body Politic (it’s also available on the White Cube website linked above). As with most shows at White Cube, this one is ambitious, tracing the entanglement of human history with deep geological time.

A work that stands out is ‘Resting Place’ – an assemblage of 250 unique sculptures formed of clay bricks. From a distance, the sculptures depict a sprawling metropolis. Viewed more closely, each represents a uniquely-shaped human body. A ghostly nod to the unrelenting forces of urbanization.

In the video Gormley mentions that as his practice becomes more abstract and geometric, he hopes that it becomes a more effective vessel for holding the viewers emotions, empathy and embodied memory. I found this remark interesting because the work I connected with most on an emotional level, Weave Works, was the least abstract of the bunch. Weave Works is a series of sculptures made of interwoven metal rods forms into the shape of human skeletons. These skeletons take on different postures, leaning against walls and pillars. For me, the poses of two of these sculptures – one with the forehead leaning against a pillar, the other with the head and forearms leaning against the wall, powerfully express the frustration and despair of our modern age.

Nappy Nina [11.12.2023] @ Café OTO

I saw plenty of live music in 2023 and this was the performance of the year. On stage, Nappy Nina and DJ Stas Thee Boss are an ideal combination. I don’t think either of them were even alive in the 1990s, but they channel some of the best vibes from that era. The Oakland-born, Brooklyn-based rapper seamlessly blends styles from both coasts to create something special.