Barbican Art Gallery – Ron Arad: Restless

February 18 – May 16, 2010

Rating: 5 out of 5

http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=10521

This fantastic show is described by the tagline, “architecture, art, design, and ping pong”. This accurately describes both the wide variety of talent of Arad as well as his sense of humour and whimsy. The whole exhibition is an absolute marvel – as if wondering around a magical word where the furniture is art and the art is functional and both are interconnected in a very intimate way.

Starting off at the upper level, Arad’s work is shown in separate rooms under various themes, including Scavenging, Tinkering, and Voiding. The work in room 2, are quite interesting and the one entitled The Quick Fox and the Lazy Dog is pure poetry, complete with an ancient typewriter and live moss. There are some fluid smooth lines as well as explorations of various techniques and finishes interspersed throughout the show. Room 8 also has some fantastic sculptures, various versions of bodyguards, including a Swiss cheese one that is just lovely.

And then we go to the lower level where the awe-factor continues with two complementary and opposite chairs in section 9, as well as some fabulous book cases that are pure imagination in section 10. But it is room 13 that in scale and vision is the most impressive, both with the huge U.S.A.-shaped bookcase and the fabulous Reinventing the Wheel, which run up and down the room on rails while keeping the books they protect perfectly in place.

Go see this show to find some inspiration from an artist who has refused to be caged in by labels.