When Forms Come Alive is a fun sensory exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London.
Inspired by dance, movement, growth, and flow, it spans 60 years of contemporary art and is a surreal way to spend a morning during half-term with a 6-year-old.
Close-up view of Tara Donovan, Untitled (Mylar), When Forms Come Alive (7 February — 6 May 2024).
Curated superbly by Ralph Rugoff, this captivating showcase invites visitors to explore the tactile and dynamic creations of 21 acclaimed artists. From the mesmerizing installations of DRIFT and Eva Fàbregas to the thought-provoking works of Michel Blazy, Marguerite Humeau, Tara Donovan, Teresa Solar Abboud, and more.
Everything in the show is a trip, with bursts of color, intriguing textures, and mesmerizing shapes enveloping you from every angle.
A Subsequent Offering by EJ Hill
This wooden rollercoaster with neon tracks by EJ Hill was great fun to see and if you check out his other works you can see he often photographs rollercoasters. Eva Fàbregas’s installation Pumping was a complete eye-opener. From not reading about it and not having huge context to her work it was clear that she uses everyday items and turns them into oversized organs which you can walk around and lightly interact with. The organs resemble giant intestines or even large faceless worms and works hand in hand with some excellent sound design pumping out low-fi frequencies which gives life to the sculpture.
“Pumping” by Eva Fàbregas, Hayward Gallery (February 7—May 6, 2024)
“Bouquet Final” by Michel Blazy, Hayward Gallery (February 7—May 6, 2024
My 6 year old son’s favourite piece was Bouquet Final by Michel Blazy. Foam caught in stillness that cascades down in all directions.
For me alongside from Eva Fàbregas’s installation Pumping, I really enjoyed Tara’s Donovans ‘Untitled (Mylar)’ which to me looks like shiny molecules constructed out of sheets of metallic film, folded into spheres and presented in an oversized way that makes you feel a bit lunar. It was grandiose, thought provoking and slightly futurisitic.
Marguerite Humeau, the French artist, was my last big takeaway from the show. Her work employs beeswax, walnut wood, and microcrystalline wax to create a tree-like structure that sprouts clusters of tiered honeycombs, reminiscent of waterlilies or pale chrysanthemums. Upon closer inspection, the scent is overwhelming, emanating from the translucent globules atop the structure. Interestingly, these globules contain the venom of wasps. Humeau's art blends ancient and modern elements, evoking a sense of both nostalgia and innovation.
‘The Holder of Wasp Venom’ (2023) by Marguerite Humeau
All the sculptures felt very otherworldly and have a dystopian o even futuristic vibe to them. It is a first rate collection of work that speaks directly to the viewer and even with such great sound and motion, the show is so much more than just a sensory experience.