feet of clay

Inspired by the void space of WOW’s Green Gallery, Artist in Residence Gaspard Combes presents his new site-specific sculptural installation Feet of Clay.

Departing from the Biblical story of the King of Babylon’s dream, in which the King predicts the fall of his own empire, Combes’ installation aims to recreate the vision of a city sinking into the gallery’s walls. His background in drawing and interior comes back in the exhibition in the building outlines which occupy the gallery space without overpowering it. The rigid appearance of the bamboo structures is contrasted by the more organic shape of the smoke coming out of the chimneys.

This melancholic landscape is a reminder of how the circle of life impacts not only humans but also buildings and cities. Civilisations rise and fall, every new building we inhabit and visit rose on the dust of previous ones. Centimetre by centimetre our present covers up the presence of the past. This is why the exhibition is not meant to be static during its course, but will be activated through workshops that will require new interpretations and layers by the viewer.

About Gaspard Combes (FR/CH)

Combes (FR, 1993) studied Interior Design at the Ecole Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques in Montpellier (FR). However, when he realised that the artistic side was becoming more prominent than the architectural one, he interrupted the course to find a new home at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in the VAV Department, from which he graduated in 2017. There, he expanded his practice in the field of sculpture, performance and video. During his exchange programme at the School of Visual Theatre in Jerusalem, he had the chance to explore the practices of dance and performances more in-depth. He is now an Artist in Residence in WOW Amsterdam.

www.cargocollective.com/gaspardcombes

Cover image: study for installation