Anya Gallaccio

On the occasion of the exhibition The Harvest Of The Cold Months, which was shown at Künstlerhaus Bremen in 1996, Anya Gallaccio (*1963 in Paisley, GB, lives in London) created a 150 square meter graphite dust work on the gallery floor. The decisive factor was to cover the gallery floor, which had been marked by numerous earlier exhibitions, and to restore it to a new, undamaged condition. In order to distribute the graphite dust, Gallaccio used household sponges, which are now available for sale as an edition. Due to their use as tools, they are covered with a fine layer of graphite and additionally welded into a plastic cover. Their title Drawn refers to the structure of the sponges, which left their individual pattern on the graphite floor covering. On the other hand, it also refers to the material graphite used by the artist and its well-known function as writing and drawing material.

Anya Gallaccio’s still-life-like installations consist of both ephemeral elements, fruits or flowers, and inorganic materials, such as metals. The former are naturally subject to a continuous process of decay, which not only triggers visual stimuli, but also appeals to the sense of smell. By showing the transformation and decay of the materials, the artist draws attention to their volatility and sensitizes us to the specific properties of each material.

Anya Gallaccio
Drawn, 1996
Household sponge, graphite, wood glue, sealed in plastic bag
9 x 6,5 x 4 cm
Edition: 10
Produced for the Künstlerhaus Bremen
250 €