A Kitchen Cat Speaks (Installation in the German Pavilion) 2009

Liam Gillick constructed this installation, A Kitchen Cat Speaks, in the German Pavilion, using wood to create a geometric and architectural form. The pale wood used throughout has a wonderful, raw quality to it, celebrating the process of construction. It shows the viewer the bare bones of a space, or rather an idea for a space. I am captivated by the modular repetition of the shelving units, which create both solid walls and open, empty spaces. The grain of the wood is really visible, each plank different from the next and this brings to mind the work of Donald Judd, who also plays with industrial materials and simple, geometric forms. Gillick's work, like Judd's, encourages us to consider the relationship between art, architecture, and design, and to question the structures that shape our everyday lives. But instead of the cool removal of Judd, Gillick gives us a sense of play, a sense of possibility. Just add a cat!