Würfel 1995

James Licini’s sculpture ‘Würfel’ is made from steel, and the way it rises reminds me of architecture. I imagine Licini in his studio, drawn to the weight and feel of the steel, thinking about how to give this industrial material a sense of balance. How do you make a heavy metal appear light? I love how the dark cube seems to float above the lighter one. I notice the rough edges and uneven textures; they give the piece a handmade quality, a kind of vulnerability. The rubbed and patinated metal is incredibly tactile. You see the traces of the artist's hand. The way Licini has arranged these shapes makes me think of Modernist architecture and the way that artists and architects continue to inspire each other. Ultimately, ‘Würfel’ embodies this exchange, reminding us that art is an ongoing conversation across time, where ideas shift and emerge, enriching our understanding.