24/07/2021 - 30/08/2021
Commission
Studio Voltaire present Phyllida Barlow - act
Phyllida Barlow is creating a major new commission at Highgate Cemetery, London. The site–specific sculpture will be staged in the open–air courtyard of the West Cemetery, presenting a special opportunity to encounter large-scale new work by this leading international artist within an extraordinary and historic site.
The commission, act, reaches up to five meters in height. A tower of fabric wrapped poles are enclosed within a commanding structure of sombre, concrete screed panels flecked with colourful paint. Knitted together, these bulwarks of material create an imposing, sepulchral form. However, their exposed supporting frameworks reveal stage–set properties, undermining any initial appearance of monumentality.
Highgate West Cemetery Courtyard at Highgate Cemetery Swain's Lane, N6 6PJ