El Anatsui: Topology of Generosity

El Anatsui: Topology of Generosity, presented by Barakat Seoul from 27th September to 26th November 2017, sheds light on the potential of change that a single artist can generate. El Anatsui’s most representative works are large-scale installations reminiscent of tapestries, created by processing and connecting with copper wire thousands of used caps discarded from the bottles of drinks consumed in Nigeria. He has achieved recognition among the international art circles with these works, receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Venice Biennale and having his works exhibited and collected in renowned galleries and museums around the globe.

In the exhibition space at Barakat Seoul, Anatsui’s works will be compared to topological objects, which by crumpling and folding, will transform the angular exhibition space. In these space viewers will be able to form personal relationships with the works, thus adding to the extension of meanings and the transformation of the spaces. Interpreting El Anatsui’s work through a topological spectrum, allows one to see past a modern understanding of ethnic and topographical classifications of Africa, demonstrating that multiple perspectives and diverse interpretations of his art are possible. His artistic world opens up horizons of thought, where disparate experiences are possible according to the locations and contexts in which the works are experienced. In tandem, the artist’s ethos, which sees life as continuously moving and changing, is reflected in his works.