Known for creating hyper-realistic sculptures inspired by the humankind complexity, the Australian sculptor Ron Mueck is currently presenting his biggest-ever installation at the National Gallery of Victoria Triennial.
The exhibition, entitled Mass, brings along a potent symbol within the art of virtually all cultures and religions: the skull. 100 individual fiberglass and resin skull compose it, each one measuring about a meter high.
The concept was inspired by the biological complexity structure of the human cranium, considered beautiful and extraordinary by Mueck. With all the pieces piled up on the gallery floor, the installation brings to mind the massed remains in the catacombs of Paris, as well as the documentation of contemporary human atrocities in places such as Cambodia, Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Iraq. Besides being a somber study of mortality, his new work also celebrates the skull as a form that links us as a species.
The National Gallery Of Victoria Triennial also presents the work of over 100 creatives from 32 countries. It runs through April 18, 2018, and is a free exhibition.
all images © Sean Fennessey