Perspectives
Intersections
by Anila Quayyum Agha
Installation art, sculpture
View an image of the artwork →
A large cube hangs from the ceiling of a gallery, casting intricate, geometric patterns onto the walls. As visitors surround the suspended frame, they block the light emitted from its centre, catching the silhouette before it lands on a more stable surface. The installation envelopes these passers-by, folding them within its shadowy facades. Intertwined with the work, they wear its elaborate contours, able to trace the markings on their own skin.
The soft, monochromatic appearance of Intersections creates a sense of calm within the confines of the space. It seems cut off from the rest of the world, its detachment offering an experience verging on the spiritual. Although the ornamentation is illusory, it encompasses a sense of the historic, encased within a wider architectural context. It seems at once to draw from earthly influences, and to exert an otherworldly lure.
Words by Sophia Martin-Pavlou
We see a black box, meticulously cut to match a mandala’s concentric circles. A solitary light bulb is held at its centre, its glow harnessed for power, throbbing outwards into the surrounding chamber. The cube appears as a hovering monolith, its supporting cables slipping into the shadows unseen. We may imagine that this complex construction simply came into being, rising from the ground, springing from thin air, or expanding from the source of illumination at its core.
As we study the shapes that the sculpture produces, we may perceive rings and stars, diamonds and petals. Constellations and floral filigree momentarily capture our attention, before yielding to newly detected formations. These interlaced outlines seem built to evoke wonder, to provide us with a numinous experience. In its decorative design and portability, the box may be a centrepiece for a makeshift, mobile mosque, crafting a sacred space at the flick of a switch.
Words by John Wadsworth
More to discover
You can visit Anila Quayyum Agha's official website here. You can find out more about the artwork (and watch an informative video) on the Rice Gallery site. Laura C. Mallonee has interviewed the artist for Hyperallergic, as has Samantha Beckett for The Culture Trip. Becky Chung has written a post about Interventions for The Creators Project.
Question of the day
Are art galleries detached from the real world?
Share your thoughts on Facebook, Patreon, or Twitter.
Some are, some aren’t. If they are, in my opinion it is because of how much they do or don’t reach out to the community, or how well they advertise, or what they charge for admission.
– Leah Hayes, bestselling graphic novelist and musician (via The Brief →)
Nothing is detached from the real world.
– Yiyun Li, author of 'The Vagrants' and 'A Thousand Years of Good Prayers' (via The Brief →)
No. They’re full of tourists and toddlers and toilets and overpriced tea towels. Nothing wrong with that, of course.
– Emma McKinlay, Silent Frame Sub-Editor (via Patreon →)
Also on Silent Frame
