Thomas Schütte

thomas schütte

Thomas Schütte

    Since the late 1970s—when he studied with renowned German artist Gerhard Richter—Thomas Schütte has been subverting traditional art historical genres through his eclectic output of sculptures, prints, installations, drawings, watercolors, and photographs. Schütte makes familiar forms of expression, like memorial portraiture and figurative sculpture, strange through evocative, often disturbing alterations, such as in his treatment of the female nude in his “Bronzefrauen” series (Bronze Women, 1999-ongoing) where figurative shapes morph into abstract or mutant forms, or his “Alte Freunde” series, in which the subjects’ despondent expressions highlight the vulnerability of the individual against the cruelty and complexity of the vast world. Through his work he explores the human condition, offering a critical perspective on social, cultural, and political issues and visually eloquent commentary on memory, loss, and the difficulty of memorializing the past.

    On a visit to the Konrad Fischer Galerie in 2016, Rolf Fehlbaum discovered the model of a log cabin conceived by Thomas Schütte. Fascinated by the structure, Fehlbaum asked the artist if he could imagine a full-scale realisation of the project on the Vitra Campus. In 2018, the Blockhaus became the newest building on the company premises, forming a contrast to the architectural works by other figures. On the occasion of the official opening, the artist Thomas Schütte offered insights into his work.

    The Blockhaus is a hybrid structure – both object and functional space – and the first architectural work on the Vitra Campus that was created by an artist. How does this project diverge from the approach and implementation of other buildings on the premises?

    ”I think the main difference is that I didn’t have to fulfil any expectations. If someone orders a hotdog, I can bring him a steak. Or even just a bottle of water. I am not financially involved in the realisation of the project, so I don’t have an ego problem. And I don’t have a signature style. Basically, I’m presenting an idea, and most of the time the idea is realised in a way that is ten times better than expected. But you still never know. I have good friends who are architects, and they are happy when I can work with them, because then they have a completely free hand in the project’s implementation. Normally an architect can’t do very much, because the banks and financial backers make the decisions. But the main difference still lies in the fact that I am not bound by such constraints; I can define the task myself.”

    ‘It was the most crooked, and the most unrealistic wooden bricolage that was amongst the choices. And I think the reason is, it’s so different from the other buildings that it makes some sense.’ Thomas Schütte, responding to a question from Rolf Fehlbaum, who discovered a model of the Blockhaus at a gallery.

published in : www.artsy.net

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

    The store’s interior design of cosmetology brand “Meunier Technology Beauty”, is underpinned by a stripped-back, minimalist sensibility that belies a rich amalgam of contradictions: slender, lightweight metal and glass furnishings converse with chunky blocks of concrete; smooth, curvaceous forms are set against rugged, craggy textures; and shimmering, polished brass surfaces are juxtaposed with muted expanses of cement.

    Far from saturating or confounding the senses, these antagonistic statements in mass, form and texture are harmoniously combined into a sculptural composition aided by the mirrored ceilings and the mellow daylight filtering in from the building’s glass facade.

    More than an architectural gesture of minimalist elegance, the contradictory sensibility of DOMANI’s interior design poetically alludes to the complexity of the female identity and the intricacies of contemporary feminism, as well as reflects the antagonistic yet symbiotic relationship of external and internal beauty.

    The sculptural quality of the interior design is primarily based on the collection of bespoke furniture by A&V, the studio’s design brand, which range from slender, undulating brass benches and razor-thin brass table tops that seem to be suspended mid-air thanks to a glass base, to the deconstructed composition of concrete volumes in the lounge area. The latter is a sculptural installation of abstract expressionism but it’s also a metaphor for the complexity of the female psyche: softly curved and delicately sculpted yet heavyset and robust with “damaged” spots that represent the “scars in the historical evaluation of feminism”.

    Smooth concrete surfaces, polished brass furnishings and mirrored ceilings that echo the design language of the public areas imbue the rooms with a soothing, hypnotic ambience that aid relaxation. Meanwhile, above the treatment beds, undulating mirrored panels that evoke rippling water greet guests as they open their eyes after a treatment which can also be construed as a clever retelling of the myth of Narcissus: unlike the doomed youth who looked sadly down into the water, guests at Meunier look up at their reflection with a sense of elation

    Headquartered in Guangzhou, China, DOMANI has committed to providing creativity and design for each forward-looking customer in architecture, interior and products since its inception in 2005. We devise a high-level integrated, sustainable commercial design that exceed the client’s expectations. With high premium space works, our energy and competency have attained remarkable market feedbacks. Awarded by prestigious international prizes, we have consistently ranked amongst the top architecture and integrated design studios in Asia.

    DOMANI adheres to a rigorous professional attitude. We are a team of diverse talents, working alongside a great number of other specialist consultants. Through comprehensive project management, we strive for the best in various architecture projects. All of our responsible design solutions reflect an international perspective.

 

written by : Richard Misso
4 December 2020
published in : designaddictsplatform.com.au

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

    The store’s interior design of cosmetology brand “Meunier Technology Beauty”, is underpinned by a stripped-back, minimalist sensibility that belies a rich amalgam of contradictions: slender, lightweight metal and glass furnishings converse with chunky blocks of concrete; smooth, curvaceous forms are set against rugged, craggy textures; and shimmering, polished brass surfaces are juxtaposed with muted expanses of cement.

Henning Larsen Wins Competition for a Mixed-Use Development in South Korea

Henning Larsen Wins Competition for a Mixed-Use Development in South Korea

   Henning Larsen’s proposal for Seoul Valley was selected as the winner of the Central Seoul Development Competition. Seeking to become a new home for the public in the center of the city, the mixed-use development “merges Seoul’s global commercial profile with an ecological return to downtown pedestrian life”. Other entries included schemes by MVRDV and SOM.

    Located on the northern border of Yongsan-Gu, one of Seoul’s central districts, the winning proposal of the 360,644 m² mixed-use urban development, is designed by Henning Larsen in collaboration with local architect Siaplan and retail consultant Benoy. Mixing office, retail, hotel, and residential program within a public podium, the project will enter the Schematic Design phase in the spring of 2021. Aiming to meet the goals of Seoul’s 2030 plan, Seoul Valley creates a comfortable and vibrant space for locals and visitors.

    Seoul Valley is such an exciting project for central Seoul. For well over a decade the city has been actively working to revitalize its urban fabric, focusing on the spaces between buildings and the pedestrian links. Seoul Valley fits into that vision, promising to bring public life back to the center not just through shops and amenities but through a design that focuses on public comfort, greenery, and local tradition. —

Jacob Kurek, Henning Larsen partner in charge.

    Seoul Valley merges both human and city scale. Fragmenting its elements into numerous smaller masses as they meet the elevated ground floor where they generate gardens, terraces, and courtyards in between the structures, Seoul Valley invites pedestrian flow to access the project from a sprawling tribune stair on the north side and along the Seoul Skygarden Park to the south.

    Office and hotel towers cluster around a leafy core: a Biospheric Layer mitigates pollution, a Percolation Layer blocks noise and forms a lush green interior, and a Conscious Layer stimulates the senses. The massing is the result of extensive wind and climate studies, aimed at reducing heat buildup and prolonging the outdoor season. Retail modules are dispersed throughout the site, creating a free-flowing, ever-changing space that encourages lingering and exploration.

    As an industry, we’ve known for a long time the benefits of daylight, exterior views, greenery…but such benefits are often pushed to the side in favor of maximizing frontage in commercial design. Shopping in the future won’t necessarily be about coming out of the shop with a bag, so our goal with Seoul Valley was to have both. In the end, we believe the whole is more than the sum of its parts. — Jacob Kurek, Henning Larsen partner in charge.

written by : Christele Harrouk
30 November 2020
published in : archdaily.com

Henning Larsen Wins Competition for a Mixed-Use Development in South Korea

    Henning Larsen’s proposal for Seoul Valley was selected as the winner of the Central Seoul Development Competition. Seeking to become a new home for the public in the center of the city, the mixed-use development “merges Seoul’s global commercial profile with an ecological return to downtown pedestrian life”. Other entries included schemes by MVRDV and SOM.

WA Museum Boola Bardip opens in Perth

WA Museum Boola Bardip opens in Perth

    The long-awaited $400 million WA Museum Boola Bardip has opened, close to a year after the building was completed.

Architects Hassell and OMA describe the museum as “a collection of stories about Western Australia’s diverse and rich history, and contemporary culture.” Its name, Boola Bardip, means “many stories” in Whadjuk Noongar language.

    “The museum carefully combines and embraces historic and contemporary architecture to provide opportunities for exploration, sharing of ideas, and ongoing storytelling,” said Hassell principal Mark Loughnan.

A number of heritage buildings at the Perth Cultural Centre, including the Old Gaol, the Jubilee Building, the original Art Gallery and Hackett Hall, have been enveloped in two intersecting circulation loops – one vertical, one horizontal – culminating in the centre at a public space referred to as the City Room, which accommodates a variety of activities and exhibitions. A large volume cantilevers over Hackett Hall, which shelters the City Room.

    The museum includes eight new permanent exhibition galleries, a 1,000-square-metre special exhibition gallery, learning studios, retail, and a café.

Below where the cantilevers of the new structures meet old buildings, Hassell and OMA have landscaped a large sheltered plaza.

Named the City Room, this space is the museum’s centrepiece and will be open for public events and activities hosted by the museum and other institutions in Perth Cultural Centre.

Inside, the refurbished historic buildings and new structures are woven together two intersecting circulation loops – one that extends vertically and one that wraps the buildings horizontally.

    These loops offer multiple routes around the museum and encourage visitors to explore and meander freely through the museum.

“The museum is unique in both the Australian and international cultural landscape,” said OMA regional director Paul Jones. “It invites visitors to not only passively look at exhibitions, but also become active creators of their own museum experiences. Visitors can choose museum journeys relevant to them and engage in dialogues with each other.”

 “The new WA Museum Boola Bardip is simply spectacular,” said premier Mark McGowan. “I have no doubt Western Australians will be blown away by its stunning architecture and fascinating exhibits.”

written by :  ArchitectureAU Editorial 
24 Nov 2020
published in : architectureau.com

WA Museum Boola Bardip opens in Perth

    The long-awaited $400 million WA Museum Boola Bardip has opened, close to a year after the building was completed.

Architects Hassell and OMA describe the museum as “a collection of stories about Western Australia’s diverse and rich history, and contemporary culture.” Its name, Boola Bardip, means “many stories” in Whadjuk Noongar language.

Australia is Building the World’s First Coral Conservation Facility

coral conservation facility

Australia is Building the World’s First Coral Conservation Facility

    Contreras Earl Architecture has revealed its design for the world-first coral ark. Located at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef in Port Douglas, North Queensland, Australia, the conservation facility “aims to secure the long-term future and biodiversity of corals worldwide which are under severe threat due to climate change”.

Dedicated to the future of corals worldwide, the Living Coral Biobank, designed by Contreras Earl Architecture, with leading engineering and sustainability consultants Arup and Werner Sobek for the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, is the first facility of its kind. Focusing on taking care of 800 species of the world’s hard corals, the new building is a “living ark”, with next-generation renewable energy design, creating optimal conditions for coral storage while minimizing energy consumption and solar gain.

    Securing the living biodiversity of the world’s coral species immediately, the 6,830 sqm multi-function center will also host exhibition areas, an auditorium, and classrooms as well as advanced research and laboratory facilities over four levels. Commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, the project responds to context, climate, the user, and its function to protect 800 species of coral. The volume, inspired by the mushroom coral, takes a series of organic undulating concrete fins, on the façade, “clustered closely at ground level to offer protection from adverse tropical conditions including threats of a flood”. On higher levels, the fins twist and unfurl, allowing natural light and ventilation while providing solar shading. On another hand, the visitor’s’ journey is defined by an architecturally manipulated play of light.

    Responding to the need to conserve the corals in a highly controlled environment as well as the requirement for biosecurity to prevent cross-contamination, sustainability is at the core of every design decision, aiming to be self-sufficient and carbon neutral. In fact, the structure was divided into six compatible climate zones over four levels, with adjacencies minimizing energy resources used for climatic control. 

written by : Christele Harrouk
11 November 2020
published in : archdaily.com

Sutherland Shire entertainment center gets the final go ahead

Sutherland Shire entertainment center gets the final go ahead

    The Sutherland Entertainment Center holds an important place in the collective memory of the Sutherland community. Designed and built in the 1970s primarily as a musical venue, the then ‘Sutherland Civic Centre’ relied on an inward focus on its auditorium and on a narrow public address to Eton Street.  This was a time when buildings like this relied on a separation between inside and outside and where spaces such as the foyer had only one purpose.  This was also long before the development of Peace Park to the building’s north.

Fast forward to the present day.  What we now find is a 40+ year old building which is in relatively good physical condition. However, as a modern day public venue, it must now cater to a diversity of cultural and technical needs. It must have a more open outlook and offer more to its community, both in terms of its relationship with its immediate surrounds but also in its spatial flexibility.

    Our proposal seeks to offer a new and more engaging address for the Entertainment Centre by virtue of a friendlier and integrated relationship with Peace Park.  This speaks to an opportunity to re-affirm Peace Park as the civic heart of Sutherland – a place with stronger connections not only to already established civic institutions but also with anticipated future developments within the Sutherland Town Centre.

    Just as there is much spatial potential between the building and the park there are also wonderful opportunities to re-use much of the building’s current fabric.  We propose that the existing black box space and administration building be retained and re-purposed to be café / theatre bar and foyer on the Ground Floor and multi-purpose community room and rehearsal space on Level 1.  Likewise, the structure and facade on the north side of the building would be adapted for new uses such as restaurant, kitchen and stores on the Ground Floor; Administration spaces on Level 1 and Green Room on Level 2, each with a view of the park and connected by the existing ivy clad egress stair.

    The auditorium also retains much of its surrounding envelope but will become an entirely new and lively space.  The existing flat floor will be transformed into a more immersive tiered seating arrangement and all acoustics, accessibility and back of house functions revitalised to provide a venue with broad appeal for audiences and performers alike.  The new theatre will be designed to meet or exceed national benchmarks for Performing Arts Centres, achieving a four star rating for theatres on the local, regional and national touring circuit.

Sydney’s Sutherland Shire Council has voted unanimously to go ahead with the largest infrastructure project in the council’s history, the redevelopment of its Civic Centre.

    A state-significant development application for the proposed Sutherland Entertainment Centre was approved in October.

Chrofi and NBRS Architecture won a design competition for the project in May 2019. Their winning scheme included a verandah structure that will be added to the north of the existing structure, the Sutherland Civic Centre, and form a large foyer space and connection to the adjacent Peace Park.

Other works include a refurbished theatre with tiered seating, a fly tower over the stage to cater for diverse performances, flexible teaching and rehearsal spaces, a new entry court incorporating flexible outdoor events space, and upgrades to Peace Park.

    “The Sutherland Entertainment Centre has been a much loved and well used performance and events space for over forty years, but we all acknowledge it is in need of a refresh to ensure it can continue to be the region’s premier entertainment destination for many years to come,” said mayor Steve Simpson.

“Plans to redevelop or replace our Entertainment Centre have been floated for almost as long as the building has been standing, with plans to upgrade the facility first brought before Council in 1984.

Construction will begin in early 2021, and completion is expected in 2022. The council is continuing to seek funding from relevant government agencies to support the project.

written by : ArchitectureAU Editorial
19 Nov 2020
published in : architectureau.com

Sutherland Shire entertainment center gets the final go-ahead

 “The Sutherland Entertainment Centre has been a much loved and well used performance and events space for over forty years, but we all acknowledge it is in need of a refresh to ensure it can continue to be the region’s premier entertainment destination for many years to come,” said mayor Steve Simpson.

Sydney to host ICOMOS

Sydney to host ICOMOS general assembly

    The world heritage body International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will hold its next global General Assembly in Sydney, the first time the event will be held in the Pacific region.

Scheduled for 2023, the program will include site visits, workshops, lectures, and meetings between heritage experts from around the world.

Delegates will visit heritage sites including Sydney Opera House, Hyde Park Barracks and Luna Park, and will also be given the opportunity to visit cities and regions across Australia.

Australia ICOMOS president Helen Lardner said the theme of the assembly – Heritage Changes: Resilience, Responsibility, Rights, Relationships – reflect the tumultuous changes taking place in the world. “But [it is] also a positive message about the role of our heritage in supporting rapid recovery and inclusive approaches,” she said.

    “GA2023 will highlight stories and techniques for conserving important cultural sites and will make an important contribution to the re-emergence of Sydney and Australia more broadly as a leading cultural tourism destination”

Headquartered in Paris, ICOMOS is a professional association with has more than 10,000 members globally – architects, historians, planners, archaeologists and other specialists. It advocates for the protection of cultural heritage sites and advises the World Heritage Committee and national governments about heritage issues.

Federal environment minister Sussan Ley welcomed the announcement of Australia’s successful bid to host the assembly.

    “Australia is a global leader in heritage conservation, and our hosting the General Assembly aligns closely with our commitment to the management of 20 World Heritage properties – with more nominations on the way,” she said.“As an active member of the World Heritage Committee, and one of the first nations to adopt the World Heritage Convention, we are delighted to partner with the NSW Government and ICOMOS to bring this prestigious global gathering to Sydney”, she said.

NSW heritage minister Don Harwin said the event would highlight the state’s achievements in cultural heritage management.

“Sydney and NSW boast wonderful heritage places ranging from important Aboriginal sites with rich stories, to the convict Hyde Park Barracks and Parramatta’s historic Female Factory,” he said. “Our ICOMOS visitors will share knowledge of great conservation practice and enjoy amazing cultural experiences at iconic venues like Sydney Opera House. This event will boost cultural tourism, and attendees will become advocates for the amazing experiences that our cultural heritage offers.”

written by : ArchitectureAU Editorial
19 Nov 2020
published in : architectureau.com

Pace Gallery-Jean Dubuffet

Pace Gallery . Jean Dubuffet

    Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet was a French painter and sculptor. His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called “low art” and eschewed traditional standards of beauty in favor of what he believed to be a more authentic and humanistic approach to image-making. He is perhaps best known for founding the art movement Art Brut, and for the collection of works—Collection de l’art brut—that this movement spawned. Dubuffet enjoyed a prolific art career, both in France and in America, and was featured in many exhibitions throughout his lifetime.

    Jean Dubuffet rejected artistic traditions. He strove to create a unique visual language with which to portray the everyday world. One of the most important early theorists and collectors of “art brut,” Dubuffet was a major force in the recognition and appreciation of outsider art. Naive and unconventional visions of reality influenced the development of his own singularly personal style and imagery. He explored and experimented with many printmaking techniques throughout his career, most notably silkscreen and lithography.Dubuffet has been the subject of numerous museum and gallery exhibitions, and his work is included in important public and private collections worldwide. His personal collection of outsider art was the foundation of the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland.

    NEW YORK, NY.- Pace Gallery is presenting Jean Dubuffet’s Le cirque (1970), a monumental sculpture occupying the entire first-floor gallery of Pace’s 540 West 25th Street location in New York, on view September 18 – October 24, 2020. Le cirque is a habitable environment that suggests an urban plaza, which Dubuffet first conceived and sculpted in 1970 as a model for future enlargement at architectural scale. Measuring thirty feet square and thirteen feet in height, Le cirque is one of the last remaining works from the late-1960s and early-1970s to be realized at heroic size. Marking a crucial moment in Dubuffet’s deeply influential oeuvre, it stands as a major achievement in the artist’s sculptural practice and heralds the final chapter in his celebrated Hourloupe cycle, which lasted from 1962 to 1974. This cycle, the longest and most prolific of Dubuffet’s career, began with drawings and paintings, to which Dubuffet added reliefs to expand their presence spatially and “give them life,” as the artist stated. This evolved further into painted and sculpted panels, which came together in ambitious sculptural and architectural installations.

    The original model for Le cirque was created shortly after Dubuffet’s second solo exhibition with Pace Gallery in New York in 1970, which debuted a body of new black and-white sculptures called Simulacres. Dubuffet’s inaugural exhibition with Pace had taken place in 1968, after the artist met the gallery’s founder Arne Glimcher for the first time in Paris in 1966 and began working with him the following year. A foundational figure in the gallery’s history, Dubuffet’s work has been the subject of more than 20 solo exhibitions at Pace since 1968 and has been featured in countless dual and group exhibitions.

published in : pacegallery.com

Pace Gallery . Jean Dubuffet

    Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet was a French painter and sculptor. His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called “low art” and eschewed traditional standards of beauty in favor of what he believed to be a more authentic and humanistic approach to image-making. He is perhaps best known for founding the art movement Art Brut, and for the collection of works Collection de l’art brut that this movement spawned. Dubuffet enjoyed a prolific art career, both in France and in America, and was featured in many exhibitions throughout his lifetime.

In Absence-Winner at the NGV

In Absence - This Year’s Architecture Commission Winner at the NGV

    Occurring annually, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Architecture Commission is a nation-wide competition that invites architects and artists to design and create a site-specific work that is ephemeral in nature. Selected from five shortlisted design schemes, the winner in 2019, In Absence, speaks to the history of Indigenous Australians prior to European arrival. The project is a collaboration between contemporary Kokatha and Nukunu artist, Yhonnie Scarce, and Melbourne architects Edition Office.

    Ephemeral architecture has the ability to crystallise an emotional and psychological response through only a fleeting experience. In this way, the winning work for the NGV’s 2019 Architecture Commission by Yhonnie Scarce and Edition Office, In Absence, will take people’s breath away as it opens to the public in the Grollo Equiset Garden.

The NGV’s Architecture Commission is one that the entire country looks forward to, and this is validated by Yhonnie who says, “this commission is an amazing opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the [Aboriginal] builders of such infrastructure and their enduring legacies.”

    The NGV Architecture Commission is supported by RMIT University, Macquarie, and The Hugh D.T. Williamson Foundation, and the competition process is managed by Citylab.

Designed as two black timber towers with expansive voids, the dramatic interiors are adorned with thousands of black glass yams by Yhonnie. “This pavilion does not recognise the term – ‘Terra Nulius’ ¬– instead it celebrates the structures that were built long before the colonisation of Australia,” Yhonnie explains

    With a strong focus on collaboration and the community, in both a physical and conceptual sense, the pavilion is a successful example of ephemeral architecture. In Absence is underscored with a strong narrative-driven purpose and, therefore, highlights the histories of Indigenous construction, design, industry and agriculture before European colonisation.

written by : Eric Baldwin
29 April 2019
published in : archdaily.com

In Absence - This Year’s Architecture Commission Winner at the NGV

The NGV’s Architecture Commission is one that the entire country looks forward to, and this is validated by Yhonnie who says, “this commission is an amazing opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the [Aboriginal] builders of such infrastructure and their enduring legacies.”

Clement Meadmore

clement meadmore sculptor

    Clement Meadmore is one of the most highly respected artists of his generation, for both the quality of his work and the integrity of his commitment to public sculpture. This sculptor has been uniquely successful as a creator of public art that serves as a positive, unifying force in the environment.Although initially linked with the Minimalists, Clement Meadmore transcended geometry with work of uncommon force and elegance, powerful in large scale and small.

    It relies for its effect on the opposition between line and mass, also deriving power and eloquence from its fusion of formal invention with intense feeling, a frankly spiritual dimension. Yet ultimately the appeal of Clement Meadmore’s work lies in its success as sheer form.The artist has managed to overcome geometry’s qualities of stasis, containment, rigor, and sobriety. His sculptures deny their physical reality, suggesting weightlessness. Because of this extroverted and animated character, his public commissions provide oases of humanity in the urban environment. He himself has stated: “A building is part of the environment, but a sculpture is a presence inhabiting the environment.”

    Clement Meadmore’s works range in size from those that fit in the palm of a hand to others that stretch more than forty-six feet, not to mention a proposal for a six-hundred-foot skyscraper sculpture. This range in scale is belied by the seeming monumentality and robust physicality of even the smallest maquette.In a typical Meadmore sculpture, a large rectangular volume of steel twists and turns upon itself. The point about his classic works is that they are huge, and so the great curl of steel takes on this epic scale, as if mighty and usually exuberant forces are at work. In Melbourne, a massive steel structure called Dervish has been sitting beside the Yarra River for 20 years.

    Another Meadmore sculpture called Flippant Flurry slumbers on the rooftop of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It was hidden behind a wall until 2010, now it can be seen through the glass panes of the gallery rooms. But a Meadmore sculpture titled Janus has met a more controversial fate. Australia donated Janus to Mexico City for the Mexico Olympics in 1968, and for a while it was on public display, but that’s no longer the case. Since 1996, it’s been inside the grounds of a private school. Some people are now saying the Mexican government has effectively abandoned this gift and Australia should now ask for it to be returned.

clement meadmore sculptor

    Clement Meadmore is one of the most highly respected artists  of his generation, for both the quality of his work and the integrity of his commitment to public sculpture. This sculptor has been uniquely successful as a creator of public art that serves as a positive, unifying force in the environment.