ARKEN museum opens largest anish kapoor show in scandinavia

behemoth installations take over arken museum

The ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art in Ishøj, Denmark, is proud to present Anish Kapoor — Unseen, the largest ever exhibition of the artist’s works in Scandinavia. The show opened on April 11th, 2024, and highlights the internationally renowned artist’s work across a majority of the museum’s vast galleries. Kapoor has been a leading figure in contemporary art for over four decades, and has exhibited at the world’s most prestigious institutions. Now, ARKEN offers audiences an opportunity to experience a selection of his most monumental sculptures and installations. This includes ‘Memory’ (2008), a 24-ton Corten steel behemoth, and the seminal ‘Descent into Limbo’ (1992).

Anish Kapoor, Memory, 2008. image © David Stjernholm

anish kapoor’s weightless works show in denmark

Unseen will showcase the breadth and depth of Anish Kapoor‘s artistic practice at ARKEN. Visitors can expect works that explore the interplay between light and dark, the substantial and the ephemeral, the visible and the unseen. Kapoor is a master of manipulating perception. Through techniques like mirroring, color, and the illusion of weightlessness, he transforms our understanding of materials, objects, and even ourselves. The physicality of Kapoor’s works encourages a rediscovery of the world through the entire body, fostering a ‘psyche-soma’ experience — a counterpoint to the digital consumption that dominates modern life. Unseen allows visitors to experience this transformative encounter at ARKEN.

Anish Kapoor, Destierro, 2017. image © David Stjernholm

‘We are incredibly honored that Anish Kapoor has chosen to collaborate with ARKEN,’ says museum director Marie Nipper. ‘The technical demands of these impressive works have, in some cases, necessitated the physical transformation of the museum itself. Floors have been removed to accommodate the vast scale of the pieces. Visitors can expect an experience unlike any other – not just with Kapoor’s art, but also with the transformed ARKEN.‘

Kapoor’s artworks are renowned for their ability to resonate on a deeply physical and emotional level. ‘We hope to create an unforgettable artistic encounter for our audience,’ concludes Nipper.

Anish Kapoor, My Red Homeland, 2003. image © David Stjernholm
Anish Kapoor – UNSEEN. image © David Stjernholm
Anish Kapoor, At the Edge of the World II, 1998. image © David Stjernholm