HEAVY METAL

Galerie56 is thrilled to present HEAVY METAL—the newest exhibition put forth by the unique, avant-garde platform established to celebrate the cultural intersection of art, architecture, and design. Curated by founder and architect Lee F. Mindel, the exhibition is a compelling exploration of artworks created exclusively from a single material—metal. It examines the ways in which metal has been utilized in different design applications and scales across the 20th century and beyond.

Metal’s intrinsic connection to contemporary design lies in its versatility. Whether serving as a sinuous thread woven through a Hechizoo Tatami rug and therefor mimicking the natural qualities of cotton, or crafted into solid sheets for Poul Kjaerholm’s chairs, metal adapts to various forms.

Jean Prouvé’s ‘S.A.M. Tropique Table’, for example, expresses rigidity and regularity, but Maria Pergay’s ‘Wave Desk’ takes on a more dynamic form. Similarly, Eliot Noyes’ metal IBM telephone tables symbolize a cultural shift to a new technological age, while Benedetta Mori Ubaldini’s wire sculptures of birds in flight place emphasis on the natural world. On the other hand, Margaret Evangleine’s ‘Moonstruck’ sculpture, crafted out of stainless steel and mirroring the form of the adjacent Anish Kapoor sculpture, concurrently captures the hastiness of a bullet and the permanence of its aftermath. Though the pieces curated in this exhibition depict different attitudes and ideas, they all utilize metal as a means of expressing them.

HEAVY METAL features the work of design and art world heavyweights, including: starring Eje Ahlgren, Tony Duquette, Margaret Evangeline, Filolaos, Norman Foster, Michael Haynes, Hechizoo, Josef Hoffman, Garth &amp, Ada Louise Huxtable, Robert Josten, Poul Kjaerholm, Alexander Lieberman, Edgar Negret, Eliot Noyes, Antti Paatero, Albert Paley, Maria Pergay, Gio Ponti, Pierre Poutout, Jean Prouvé, Gastone Rinaldi, Jean Royere, Maarten Van Severen, and Benedetta Mori Ubaldini.