Yunus I 1992

Editor: This is "Yunus I," a metal sculpture by Katsuhito Nishikawa from 1992. It's photographed in stark black and white, which really emphasizes the looping form. The metallic sheen gives it a sense of manufactured precision, almost industrial. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Well, I’m immediately drawn to the process. Nishikawa is taking a traditionally rigid material – metal – and manipulating it into this fluid, almost organic shape. How does he achieve that? Is it cast, bent, welded? Understanding the labor involved and the methods employed are key. Editor: I hadn’t really thought about the process! It does seem like quite a feat of engineering to get metal to do that. Curator: Exactly! And what’s the social context here? 1992… Was Nishikawa responding to industrialization? Mass production? The tension between the handcrafted and the machine-made is palpable. Is the metal sourced locally or globally, and what impact does that have on our understanding of its worth and inherent qualities? Editor: That's a great point. I see a certain perfection in its symmetry that aligns with industrial principles. Curator: Precisely! Yet, the looped form also evokes infinity, interconnection… Perhaps hinting at a critique or maybe even celebration of globalized production lines. Also, I wonder about the photographic representation of the piece…how the transformation of sculpture through the photographic reproduction might be its own commodification of it… Editor: This gives me a lot to think about. The artist's choice of material and methods now seems loaded with meaning beyond just the aesthetic. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. Focusing on materiality opens up a whole new dimension to appreciate the complex socio-economic ideas expressed through art.