Votives

About

Votives follows on from the group’s solo show On Between at The Zabludowicz Collection in 2014 and has been made over an intensive one-month period of collaboration. Continuing their research into the sculptural possibilities of non-traditional materials, including found material scavenged and picked from the city streets, as well as materials and objects bought from discount outlets, charity shops and head shops, Votives presents a series of sculptures installed alongside three large-scale photographs.

The new work inhabits a space between definitions, inspired by unauthored, incidental or accidental arrangements of detritus on the street, which the ARKA group have been photographing over the last five years.

The sculptures include brightly coloured, highly worked objects that refer to bodies, prayer offerings, or totems, as well as simple pieces created from a few materials, that could be something found at the side of the road. Another collection of sculptures made from monochrome objects are held at eye level, for closer inspection, and though still made from recognisable, found and bought materials, are closer to luxury design objects; small consumer fetishes to be placed on mantelpieces or collected in attics.

Three large photographs are studio images of single sculptures that sit on the gallery floor. The photographs shift the perspective and scale of the sculptures for the viewer, allowing for closer study.