Dimensions: object: 416 x 1080 x 575 mm
Copyright: The Work of Naum Gabo © Nina & Graham Williams/Tate, London 2014 | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Naum Gabo's "Monument for an Airport," currently residing at the Tate. I'm struck by the interplay of transparency and opacity in the materials he's chosen. How might we interpret this work in the context of its title? Curator: I see the "Monument" as less about a literal airport and more about the spirit of flight, the wonder of modern transport. The transparent planes suggest the open sky, while the solid elements evoke the structure and mechanics that make flight possible. Does it feel cold and calculated, or perhaps hopeful? Editor: Hopeful, definitely, with a touch of futurism, I think. Curator: Exactly! It embodies that post-WWI optimism and faith in technology to lift us to new heights, literally and figuratively. It's a beautiful blend of aspiration and engineering, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely! I hadn’t considered it in that light. Thanks!
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/gabo-monument-for-an-airport-t06976
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Constructivist artist Naum Gabo explored ideas of public art while launching his career in post-revolutionary Russia. He envisaged most of his sculptural projects as public monuments. Fascinated by the idea of civil aviation since early 1920s, Gabo experimented with designs for flying machines, buildings with helipads and monumental projects such as this work. Gabo envisaged this sculpture as a large-scale sculpture for an airport booking-hall or an outdoor monument. Using state-of-the-art materials such as Perspex, marketed in the late 1930s, allowed him to realise his early ideas on a larger scale. Gallery label, June 2022
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