Hans Arp, Hauser & Wirth - exhibition review

In this new show Hans Arp's works of poetry, prints and sculptures show a radical edge
14 January 2014

It can be difficult to retrieve significant artists of the past from the hushed esteem in which they're held. This is certainly true of Hans Arp (also known as Jean Arp). A key figure in Dada and Surrealism, a pioneer of abstract sculpture, his work is always treated with reverence, and with its smooth curved forms inspired by natural shapes like buds, fruit and seeds, it tends be displayed beautifully, sombrely — and a little boringly.

But Arp was a radical, he loved nature’s forms because he felt that nature buckled modern society’s over-dependence on reason, something he wanted to subvert. This show is by far the best I’ve seen of his work, because it claws back some of this edge. The curator, Julian Heynen, does this in two ways: he prints Arp’s poetry on the walls — some of it can be heard being read from ceiling-mounted speakers — and he brings a few sculptures by the maverick Austrian artist Franz West, who died in 2012, in the midst of a large cluster of sculptures from Arp’s later years.

Arp’s poetry is a bit hit and miss, but it reflects his Dada origins, particularly when read in German which emphasises its percussive clatter. Arp practised automatic writing, attempting to let unconscious imagery pour forth. Some of it is unintentionally hilarious but its imagery is powerful: “Who now will eat with the phosphorescent rat at the lonely barefoot table?” one poem asks.

But the masterstroke is to bring the West sculptures into awkward conjunction with Arp’s work. They are in many ways their direct opposite; dry rather than luscious, clumpy rather than smooth, amateurish rather than exquisite. But it works brilliantly: they nudge this over-familiar art into more uncertain territory, so that it appears more bodily, scatological and playful, even more daring.

Until March 1 (020 7287 2300, hauserwirth.com)

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in