Art Review: Anish Kapoor @ Lisson Gallery

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 137 months ago
Art Review: Anish Kapoor @ Lisson Gallery
Anish Kapoor,Artist's studio, 2012, © Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor,Artist's studio, 2012, © Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Artist's studio. © Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Artist's studio. © Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Artist’s studio. Photo - Dave Morgan
Anish Kapoor, Artist’s studio. Photo - Dave Morgan
Anish Kapoor, Artist's studio. © Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Artist's studio. © Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Artist’s studio. Photo Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Artist’s studio. Photo Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Earth model (detail), photo Dave Morgan. © Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Earth model (detail), photo Dave Morgan. © Anish Kapoor

If  Anish Kapoor wasn't a household name already due to his colossal Tate modern turbine hall installation or the sky mirrors in Hyde Park, the Orbit tower dominating the Olympic park skyline has assured us that he won't be forgotten any time soon.

But he hasn't stopped there and his latest works are on display in both of the Lisson Galleries. The works in the first building are more 'classic Kapoor' with a large structure made of two spheres in the courtyard that looms over visitors as if it's about to swallow them. Inside there is a set of fibreglass pods painted with searingly bright colours. It's only when standing right in front of these concave structures that the colour takes over your entire field of vision and you feel immersed in his work — a rare sense of intimacy that's harder to experience with his larger structures.

The second gallery can be thought of as his experimental works. Kapoor draws parallels between the organic and machines with a huge engine and rectangles made out of resin, but these feel a little flat. The highlight in this gallery is a room that pumps out infrasonic sound. It's below the human hearing range but is at the resonating frequency for various parts of our bodies. Moving around the room results in different bones in the body vibrating in time with the pulses of sound. It's designed to make visitors feel anxious and it certainly does. It's a curious and slightly unpleasant sensation that will probably ensure visitors are fascinated by the unique experience but will limit their time spent in the room.

Anish Kapoor is on display at Lisson Gallery 29 & 52-54 Bell Street, NW1 5BY/5DA from 10 October to 10 November. Admission is free.

Last Updated 12 October 2012