In March 2015, renowned sculptor Anish Kapoor debuted "Descension," a seemingly endless whirlpool installation, at the 2015 Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India's 108-day long contemporary art biennale, the country's first.
The art installation that spiraled like an angry vortex opened to critical acclaim. And beginning May 3, 2017, Kapoor will be bringing a 26-foot-wide version of the installation "Descension" to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1, complete with an all-natural black dye used to create the illusion of an endless void.
Kapoor says his motivation when creating architecture and art is seldom to assign a specific meaning to the object, but instead, challenge the subject's relevance to space, form, shape and time against the object.
"I'm not that interested in narrative itself," said Kapoor, "but I am interested in resident narratives: Meaning isn't in the object; meaning is generated between the object and the viewer. The thing I'm always most concerned about is how do you enter the space? I'm deeply interested in the way space motivates and manipulates your body."
"Descension" is part of the Public Art Fund's 40th anniversary season, one of several public art pieces going on display this year. The piece first appeared as a smaller, interior pool for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and later as a large-scale outdoor piece for Kapoor's solo exhibit at Versailles in France. The Brooklyn Bridge Park installation-- complete with a gated overlook for viewers to peek inside-- will mark the pool's first appearance in North America.
"As we celebrate 40 years of bringing remarkable public art to New York City, it's important to recognize those artists and exhibitions that have shaped the discourse and been so memorable to our broad public audience," said Nicholas Baume, director and chief curator of the Public Art Fund.
"Descension" will be on display through Sept. 10.
