97.5° Arc x 8

Credit: Gift of Dato' Kho Hui Meng 2015, Collection of SMU

This artwork is part of 25x25 Campus Art Tour.

Listen to the audio description of the artwork here.

Transcript:

The sculpture stands two-storeys high at 7m tall and 2m wide. Its 8 beams of steel have a raw reddish-brown patina, and each are bent precisely at a 97.5° arc. The beams are arranged in an uneven line that breaks its formality, quietly complementing in colour, height and form with the organic and oblique-shaped trees in the surroundings.

This monumental sculpture, by French conceptual artist Bernar Venet, illustrates the grace, balance and malleability of steel. Venet was well known in the 1960s and 70s for his mathematically precise sculptures and exploration of industrial materials. The title, 97.5° Arc x 8, is an exact description of its configuration, reflecting the artist's systematic and technical approach to his work. The sculpture's surface, having been left unpainted, has taken on a rich red-brown patina over time. This engagement with the weathering effects of the surrounding nature only further highlights the beauty and strength of its material.