British sculptor Antony Gormley's latest exhibition "Body Buildings" at Galleria Continua in Beijing showcased his ongoing exploration of the relationship between the human form and architectural structures. The exhibition, which ran from November 2024 through April 2025, featured works that blur the boundaries between figurative sculpture and built environments, utilizing materials commonly associated with construction such as terracotta clay and cast iron.
Gormley, renowned for his large-scale public installations worldwide, has long been fascinated by the interplay between humans, landscape, and the built environment. His permanent installations can be found throughout the United Kingdom and internationally, with notable works including "6 TIMES" in Edinburgh along the Water of Leith, where six bronze figures stand amid the current and beside bridges, and "Another Place" in Liverpool, comprising 100 life-size sculptures installed permanently along Crosby Beach. These sculptures were created from 17 molds taken from the artist's own body.
The Beijing exhibition featured key works including "Resting Place II" (2024), created from terracotta and consisting of 132 figures with variable dimensions, and "Buttress" (2023), made from cast iron and measuring 176.8 x 54.5 x 67.2 centimeters. These pieces demonstrate Gormley's approach to incorporating construction materials typically found in bricks and angular frameworks into his sculptural practice. The artist describes his methodology as a means "to think and feel the body in this condition," creating works that are simultaneously independent of architecture yet indelibly connected to it.
"Buttress" exemplifies this conceptual approach, prompting viewers to question whether the wall supports the figure or vice versa. The sculpture challenges conventional relationships between human forms and architectural elements, creating ambiguous interactions that reflect Gormley's interest in geometric, three-dimensional forms that incorporate cubist and brutalist elements while maintaining an inherent humanity despite their blockiness.
The exhibition also included other significant works such as "Shame" (2023), a cast iron piece measuring 161.7 x 59 x 42.9 centimeters, and "Circuit" (2022), another cast iron work with dimensions of 29.3 x 201.3 x 122.4 centimeters. These sculptures, whether arranged on gallery floors in various positions or leaning against walls, demonstrate Gormley's ability to create pieces that retain muscular curvatures and true-to-life scale while venturing into abstract territory.
Gormley's connection to China spans over three decades, a relationship that significantly influenced his artistic development. A pivotal moment occurred during a 1995 research trip when he visited the terracotta warriors in Qin Shi Huang's tomb in Xi'an, an experience that deeply impacted his understanding of figurative sculpture and its relationship to monumental architecture. This encounter with China's ancient artistic traditions can be seen reflected in his choice to work with terracotta clay in many of his recent pieces.
The "Body Buildings" exhibition has been documented in a comprehensive monograph of the same title, published by SKIRA and scheduled for release on October 7. The volume includes new scholarship by Hou Hanru and Stephen Greenblatt, which explores Gormley's three-decade engagement with China and its influence on his artistic practice. Additionally, the book features a photo essay by the artist himself, including never-before-seen archival photographs from his transformative 1995 research trip to China.
Gormley's work continues to challenge traditional boundaries between sculpture and architecture, creating pieces that are far from soulless despite their association with rigid materials like concrete and steel. His figures interact meaningfully with their environments, whether positioned in natural settings like shorelines and parkland or in gallery spaces where they engage directly with architectural elements. Through "Body Buildings," Gormley demonstrates how the human form can serve as both subject and structure, creating a dialogue between organic and geometric forms that reflects our complex relationship with the spaces we inhabit.
