In Edinburgh, along a stream of water called Less, standing on the bridge and six bronze statues called “6 times” beside the bridge, staring at the city waterway. Similarly, in Liverpool, “Another Place” includes 100 life-sized sculptures made from 17 molds taken from the body by artist Antony Gormley (formerly) and permanently installed along Crosby Beach. In fact, the artist has dozens of permanent installations in the UK and around the world, most of which interact with coastlines, Parkland and historic sites.
Gormley has long been fascinated by the relationship between humans, landscapes and built environments. Although many of his symbolic sculptures retain natural muscle curves and real scales, he also ventures into the realm of abstraction, incorporating elements of cubist and barbarism into geometric, three-dimensional forms. Although they have masks, we associate them with structures built by rigid materials such as concrete and steel, but that’s not the case with his work.
Gorley’s recent solo exhibition, Weight building At Galleria Continua in Beijing, running from November 2024 and April 2025, forms the basis of a new monograph with the same title. The volume will be released from Skira on October 7.
Gormley uses Terracotta Clay and Iron for debris like “Resting Place II” and “Buttress” to dig up materials often found in the form of bricks or corner frames into frequently found materials. He described his method as “a means of thinking and feeling the body in this situation.” Whether arranged on the floor or against the wall in various positions, his characters are simultaneously independent of the building and indelible to it. For example, “Buttress” prompts us to ask if the wall lifts people or the other way around.
New scholarships published Weight building Over the past three decades, Hou Hanru and Stephen Greenblatt have explored Gormley’s relationship with China. The artist’s photo essay traces his interactions with the region, shares archival photos that he has never seen before, documenting a 1995 research trip where he visited the epic army of clay warriors at Qin Shi Huang tomb in xi’an.
Book your copy Weight building Explore more of Gormley’s works on his website at the bookstore and on his website.
