Armen Agop: Transcontemporary

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This January Art Plural Gallery presents Transcontemporary, a solo exhibition by Egyptian artist Armen Agop. Running from 22nd to 25th January 2015, Transcontemporary unveils new granite and bronze sculptures that are both free-standing and wall-mounted.

Armen Agop: Transcontemporary is both visual celebration of art and sculpture through history, as well as a critique on its role in the contemporary world. Despite bearing striking influences from ancient techniques, Armen Agop’s strong yet fluid granite and bronze sculptures seem to carry the delicacy and weightlessness of mercury, as they balance lightly on a surface. The artist makes an important commentary on the enduring relationship between humans and these materials, which are not only the literal building blocks to ancient civilisation but also the source of many ancient and contemporary art forms. The timeless quality is undeniable; there is something familiar yet unusual about Agop’s free-standing and wall-mounted works, with their rich grey tones, almost razor-sharp points and swelling curves. It challenges the underlying belief amongst contemporary viewers that stone and bronze belong in the past, before technology opened up doors to ostensibly unexpected materials. As such, Transcontemporary teaches us something new yet perhaps something that we already feel we understand: sculpture is not a trend, but it is for now, before and after.