A new artwork has arrived in Barbican's Sculpture Court made entirely of soil. It's described as 'immersive', but don't let that put you off.
'origo' (strictly lower-case for some reason) is a torus of mud, into which all are invited. But this structure is so much more than a cloddy doughnut.
Colombian artist Delcy Morelos says that origo celebrates ‘the delicate and powerful web of existence’. Its earthy rim is hollow, allowing us to walk through the structure, and breath in the earthy scents.
Oddly, yet wonderfully, the artist has mixed those earthy scents with cinnamon and other spices. It's chai latte with a hint of topsoil — like stepping into a Costa run by a family of moles.
The ring of soil has stood up well to recent weather. The week-long heatwave followed by the week of drench has not compromised its structure in any way. The attendant tells me that it's subtly coated in a thin protective layer to fend off the worst that the British weather can throw. Very wise; and completely unnoticeable.
If I'm being brutally honest, I can't say a ring of mud devoid of any apparent living organisms made me feel part of 'a powerful web of existence'. It was, though, most definitely a curious and memorable experience. The setting is also well chosen. origo sits like a prize hoopla throw within the similarly curved courtyard, its brown walls mirroring the concrete walls and wooden shutters of the nearby apartments.
Wonderful stuff; the Greatest Show of Earth.
origo by Delcy Morelos is free to visit, open 11am-7pm until 31 July 2026. Find it in the Sculpture Court, which is the horseshoe-shaped space above the Curve Gallery.
