Nkanga
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Textile, wood, glass, stones and various materials
1,7 x 11 metres (Tapisserie 222 x 306 cm)
Unique artwork
© Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Photos by Stuart Whipps
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Otobong Nkanga
Steel to Rust - Installation, 2016
Detail
Exhibition views at Nottingham Contemporary, UK
In this work, Nkanga is interested in the possibilities of contamination, decay, and states of mutation or transition. She uses different materials such as clay, steel, textiles and paint to reflect on the relationships between different entities. The installation s diverse elements are each undergoing a slow transformation, whether due to their encounter with water, air and other invisible particles.
In the display cabinets we find three sets of objects made out of clay, steel scraps and slabs. Nkanga presents these materials in a deconstructed form, looking at ideas of contamination, transformation and displacement.
The work expands on the artist s interest in museum displays. It also delves into the idea of rusting and decay as metaphors for corruption, ideological shifts and power imbalances. The Encounter That Took a Part of Me has been specially created for Nottingham Contemporary.
Steel to Rust - Installation (2016)
Consisting of the following works:
1. Steel to Rust - Meltdown (installation copy)
Technique: woven textile mounted on aluminium frames
Materials: Yarns; linen, polyester, merino wool, viscose bast, rubber Verdi, reflective yarn
Dimensions: 2 tapestries 222 x 153 cm each (87.4 x 60.24 in); total size 222 x 306 cm (87.4 x 120.47 in)
2. Steel to Rust
Technique: sculpture installation
Materials: display cabinet, digital print on cotton, stainless steel rod, felt, steel plates
Dimensions: various dimensions
3. Rust to Debris
Technique: sculpture installation
Materials: display cabinet, digital print on cotton, felt, stainless steel rods, dye, steel scraps, water
Dimensions: various dimensions
4. Debris to Dust
Technique: sculpture installation
Materials: display cabinet, digital print on cotton, felt, stainless steel rods, clay, iron oxide
Dimensions: various dimensions