A body that seems like it's hovering in mid-air, walls that continually change color, a human revolving door, what's exactly going on here? For 11 days, starting today April 11 and through April 21, 2013, visit Sydney's historic Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay for a special treat. Kaldor Public Art Project presents 13 Rooms, a ground-breaking exhibition that brings together 13 famous artists and more than 140 live performers. As you step inside every room, there are “living sculptures” that make you think twice about the definition of art. The idea was conceived by two of the world's most acclaimed curators Klaus Biesenbach from MOMA in New York and Hans Ulrich Obrist of the Serpentine Gallery, London.
“One of the differentiations of how art is perceived in the 21st Century is that artists want interaction. In the old days people would paint a picture and stick it on the wall,” said John Kaldor, founder of Kaldor Public Arts Projects told BBC. “Today's artists want the public to interact.”
In one of the most head-scratching pieces, Shanghai-born Xu Zhen features a person in the center of the room who appears to be frozen in mid-air. Her body floats mysteriously, defying the constraints of physics. The work is meant to test our limits of physical and cognitive possibilities as we try to comprehend what we see.
The best part of the whole exhibition is that it's free. “I believe in free art, always have,” Kaldor said. “Since the very beginning our vision has been to bring the latest of contemporary art to Australia. And so here we have it – a sculpture exhibition where the sculptures go home at night.”
If you can't make it out to Sydney, make sure to check out the website for more photos and videos.
