Test Flights
2009 Ceramic Dimensions variable |
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It’s a funny thing, gravity. In all of our human endeavours we are defined by its force, it is what differentiates us on this planet. Many artists have responded to this elemental influence – Yves Klein’s leap perhaps one of the most enduring experiments, but where Klein saw the emptiness of the void, Test Flights makes determinedly visible the impact. Scattered through the plaza in various states of shock, the sculptures cause us to look upwards, to make sense of this graphic depiction of our relationship to these towering city buildings. Everything is controlled by gravity. David Rickard’s exhibition continues an almost 11 year long programme of sculptures commissioned for the Economist Plaza by the Contemporary Art Society. Unsurprisingly, numerous artists have responded conceptually to the site or to the utopian architectural vision of the architects Alison and Peter Smithson. Test Flights engages in a dialogue with the looming presence of the Economist towers, but far beyond the immediate context of the buildings to a universal appraisal of our relationship to the conditions of a world in continuous spin. It’s a fitting metaphor for our times. Fabienne Nicholas Head of Consultancy, Contemporary Art Society |
Test Flights was produced at the European Ceramic Work Centre
Supported by Arts Council England and The Contemporary Art Society |