All surface one moment, all depth the next

About

Its form had been violently removed from its base, leaving behind two gaping holes on the now bare plinth. The reflective curves of its cast skin would no longer be visible, a negative space in the frame of the surrounding landscape. Even though there were no obvious leads, besides the trail of indefinable boot prints, the suspected motives of those responsible were attributable to the sculpture’s material, suggesting it had most likely been hastily transformed into a pool of liquid metal in exchange for similarly cast coins and printed notes. Once reshaped into a new arrangement with fresh potential, the material would return to the world; its past history erased by the cloaking of its changed form, ready to be sold and continue its journey. Despite the many future possibilities in its physical appearance and function, its selling price would be unlikely to fluctuate above its previous value - the marks of respect, tradition, and fashion all affected by the hot temperatures. Perhaps the metal would even find its way back to an artist’s hand so as to be reformed into another imbued object, perhaps regaining fresh marks of respect, regaining another value, but for now it sits glowing in the crucible - a past surface invisible to the naked eye. 

Through a selection of sculptural works by Helen Barff (UK), James R Ford (NZ), The Hut Project (UK), and Thomas van Linge (NL), the exhibition All surface one moment, all depth the next examines the many ways value can be translated in relation to an object’s materiality, function, and presentation, and reveals the shifting parameters of its value when crossing disciplines and industries.

Curated by Rudi Christian Ferreira and Adriënne Groen