David Shrigley's 'Really good' is exhibited as part of the Triennial at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. The sculpture was originally conceived for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London, where it was exhibited in 2016.
Cast in bronze and seven meters tall, the enormous hand with its disproportionately large thumb is characteristic of the self-conscious irony often found in Shrigley’s work. Shrigley’s ambition was that this simple gesture will become a self-fulfilling prophecy; that things considered ‘bad’ such as the economy, the weather and society, would benefit from a change of consensus towards positivity. Like his drawings and animations, here Shrigley draws on the British tradition of satire and reflects upon the absurdity of contemporary society.
Works by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA also feature at the Triennale. Shonibare's 'Modern Magic (Studies of African Art from Picasso’s Collection) IV' is on display, as well as his 'Hybrid Sculpture (Sphinx)’, which investigates the complex relationship between Western and African aesthetics.
The Hybrid series evolved from Pablo Picasso's vision of a zoomorphic antiquity, blending hybrid characters of classical mythology and polymorphous forms in African art. In this commanding sculpture Shonibare reimagines the British Museum's Roman Sphinx with a Bamana hyena mask from Picasso’s collection. The Bamana describe the fearsome hyena and regal lion as companions within initiation rituals which warn against improper behaviour. In place of the treacherous sphinx’s head, this mask invites parallels between the spiritual aspect of African artefacts and beliefs of European antiquity.
Shrigley's 'Tennis Ball Exchange' will travel to Melbourne too for Triennial EXTRA, open 19–28 January 2024.
The Exchange is an evolving installation. Visitors are invited to bring an old ball to swap with a new one from the numerous shelves that line the walls. Gradually the rows of yellow spheres are replaced with misshapen and discoloured forms that represent the joy of trade. Discussing the origins of this work, Shrigley explains: “My dog likes tennis balls. I throw them and she chases them. [Her interest is] more about exchange than possession.”
Installation Views
