Victor

Porky Hefer

2024
Leather, steel, castors
127 x 89 x 148 cm | 50 x 34 x 58.3 in.

Edition 1 of 5

The most abstract work in no bats, no chocolate is also the most indicative of Hefer’s interest in Surrealism. Victor is named after Victor Vasarely, the grandfather of Op Art whose 1937 work, titled Zebra, is considered to be one of the earliest examples

of the movement. The animal’s trademark stripes become,
in Hefer’s mind, a device for play and illusion, reminiscent of
a whirligig toy. He was inspired by Alexander Calder’s iconic kinetic work, The Circus, a recreation of a circus ring with small wire sculptures performed by the artist. Sitting on timber castors, Victor is a sculptural pull-toy that can be moved around from room to room if the user so desires.

The work’s streamlined, headless shape and spiral pattern gesture towards the idea of speed; zebras, Hefer notes, can reach speeds of up to 65k/h (40mph) when galloping – fast enough to outrun their predators. Just like their horse relatives, zebras are able to sleep standing up by locking the joints in their knees. This enables them to wake up quickly if the need to flee arises. They communicate with each other through facial expressions, sticking their ears up when greeting each other, and pressing their ears against their heads when threatened.