Anish Kapoor debuted his groundbreaking ‘Vantablack’ series during his major exhibition across Palazzo Manfrin and Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, during the Venice Biennale (20 April - 9 October 2022).

For over half a decade, Kapoor has collaborated with Surrey NanoSystems to fuse his artistic practice with cutting edge scientific nanotechnology. Vantablack holds the award for the darkest man-made substance, absorbing up to 99.96% of visible light. The substance was originally developed for space satellite systems, and can absorb light from the UV, visible, and infrared spectrums. In 2016, Kapoor gained artistic licence for the technology, allowing him to explore darkness, interiority, and the void to new depths. Kapoor’s partnership with Surrey NanoSystems initiated the creation of a body of sculptures that gives form to the void.

Upon first glance, black sculptures appear to be two-dimensional objects on a stark white background. Reminiscent of Malevich’s Black Square, the simplicity of the sculptures provoke curiosity. Kapoor’s work requires the viewer to perform a role. Just as with When I am Pregnant (1992), the viewer gains the full effect when approaching the work from the side. The deceptive nature of the pigment technology takes hold here– protruding into space are geometric figures, invisible from a frontal view. Kapoor manipulates our understanding of reality in these works. The powerful visual distortion that the objects evoke point to principal questions that Kapoor interacts with. Just as his large-scale mirrors alter our perception of what is real, these sculptures also challenge our sense of stability. Furthermore, the exploration of the void reaches a new intensity in this work. Kapoor achieves the blackest black, calling viewers to reflect upon darkness within themselves on a personal level.

Kapoor’s ‘Black’ series represents the ultimate rejection of tactility in both painting and sculpture, whereby Kapoor looks to strip the viewer’s understanding of space.

Anish Kapoor debuted his groundbreaking ‘Vantablack’ series during his major exhibition across Palazzo Manfrin and Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, during the Venice Biennale (20 April - 9 October 2022).

For over half a decade, Kapoor has collaborated with Surrey NanoSystems to fuse his artistic practice with cutting edge scientific nanotechnology. Vantablack holds the award for the darkest man-made substance, absorbing up to 99.96% of visible light. The substance was originally developed for space satellite systems, and can absorb light from the UV, visible, and infrared spectrums. In 2016, Kapoor gained artistic licence for the technology, allowing him to explore darkness, interiority, and the void to new depths. Kapoor’s partnership with Surrey NanoSystems initiated the creation of a body of sculptures that gives form to the void.

Upon first glance, black sculptures appear to be two-dimensional objects on a stark white background. Reminiscent of Malevich’s Black Square, the simplicity of the sculptures provoke curiosity. Kapoor’s work requires the viewer to perform a role. Just as with When I am Pregnant (1992), the viewer gains the full effect when approaching the work from the side. The deceptive nature of the pigment technology takes hold here– protruding into space are geometric figures, invisible from a frontal view. Kapoor manipulates our understanding of reality in these works. The powerful visual distortion that the objects evoke point to principal questions that Kapoor interacts with. Just as his large-scale mirrors alter our perception of what is real, these sculptures also challenge our sense of stability. Furthermore, the exploration of the void reaches a new intensity in this work. Kapoor achieves the blackest black, calling viewers to reflect upon darkness within themselves on a personal level.

Kapoor’s ‘Black’ series represents the ultimate rejection of tactility in both painting and sculpture, whereby Kapoor looks to strip the viewer’s understanding of space.

Anish Kapoor debuted his groundbreaking ‘Vantablack’ series during his major exhibition across Palazzo Manfrin and Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, during the Venice Biennale (20 April - 9 October 2022).

For over half a decade, Kapoor has collaborated with Surrey NanoSystems to fuse his artistic practice with cutting edge scientific nanotechnology. Vantablack holds the award for the darkest man-made substance, absorbing up to 99.96% of visible light. The substance was originally developed for space satellite systems, and can absorb light from the UV, visible, and infrared spectrums. In 2016, Kapoor gained artistic licence for the technology, allowing him to explore darkness, interiority, and the void to new depths. Kapoor’s partnership with Surrey NanoSystems initiated the creation of a body of sculptures that gives form to the void.

Upon first glance, black sculptures appear to be two-dimensional objects on a stark white background. Reminiscent of Malevich’s Black Square, the simplicity of the sculptures provoke curiosity. Kapoor’s work requires the viewer to perform a role. Just as with When I am Pregnant (1992), the viewer gains the full effect when approaching the work from the side. The deceptive nature of the pigment technology takes hold here– protruding into space are geometric figures, invisible from a frontal view. Kapoor manipulates our understanding of reality in these works. The powerful visual distortion that the objects evoke point to principal questions that Kapoor interacts with. Just as his large-scale mirrors alter our perception of what is real, these sculptures also challenge our sense of stability. Furthermore, the exploration of the void reaches a new intensity in this work. Kapoor achieves the blackest black, calling viewers to reflect upon darkness within themselves on a personal level.

Kapoor’s ‘Black’ series represents the ultimate rejection of tactility in both painting and sculpture, whereby Kapoor looks to strip the viewer’s understanding of space.

Anish Kapoor debuted his groundbreaking ‘Vantablack’ series during his major exhibition across Palazzo Manfrin and Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, during the Venice Biennale (20 April - 9 October 2022).

For over half a decade, Kapoor has collaborated with Surrey NanoSystems to fuse his artistic practice with cutting edge scientific nanotechnology. Vantablack holds the award for the darkest man-made substance, absorbing up to 99.96% of visible light. The substance was originally developed for space satellite systems, and can absorb light from the UV, visible, and infrared spectrums. In 2016, Kapoor gained artistic licence for the technology, allowing him to explore darkness, interiority, and the void to new depths. Kapoor’s partnership with Surrey NanoSystems initiated the creation of a body of sculptures that gives form to the void.

Upon first glance, black sculptures appear to be two-dimensional objects on a stark white background. Reminiscent of Malevich’s Black Square, the simplicity of the sculptures provoke curiosity. Kapoor’s work requires the viewer to perform a role. Just as with When I am Pregnant (1992), the viewer gains the full effect when approaching the work from the side. The deceptive nature of the pigment technology takes hold here– protruding into space are geometric figures, invisible from a frontal view. Kapoor manipulates our understanding of reality in these works. The powerful visual distortion that the objects evoke point to principal questions that Kapoor interacts with. Just as his large-scale mirrors alter our perception of what is real, these sculptures also challenge our sense of stability. Furthermore, the exploration of the void reaches a new intensity in this work. Kapoor achieves the blackest black, calling viewers to reflect upon darkness within themselves on a personal level.

Kapoor’s ‘Black’ series represents the ultimate rejection of tactility in both painting and sculpture, whereby Kapoor looks to strip the viewer’s understanding of space.

Anish Kapoor debuted his groundbreaking ‘Vantablack’ series during his major exhibition across Palazzo Manfrin and Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, during the Venice Biennale (20 April - 9 October 2022).

For over half a decade, Kapoor has collaborated with Surrey NanoSystems to fuse his artistic practice with cutting edge scientific nanotechnology. Vantablack holds the award for the darkest man-made substance, absorbing up to 99.96% of visible light. The substance was originally developed for space satellite systems, and can absorb light from the UV, visible, and infrared spectrums. In 2016, Kapoor gained artistic licence for the technology, allowing him to explore darkness, interiority, and the void to new depths. Kapoor’s partnership with Surrey NanoSystems initiated the creation of a body of sculptures that gives form to the void.

Upon first glance, black sculptures appear to be two-dimensional objects on a stark white background. Reminiscent of Malevich’s Black Square, the simplicity of the sculptures provoke curiosity. Kapoor’s work requires the viewer to perform a role. Just as with When I am Pregnant (1992), the viewer gains the full effect when approaching the work from the side. The deceptive nature of the pigment technology takes hold here– protruding into space are geometric figures, invisible from a frontal view. Kapoor manipulates our understanding of reality in these works. The powerful visual distortion that the objects evoke point to principal questions that Kapoor interacts with. Just as his large-scale mirrors alter our perception of what is real, these sculptures also challenge our sense of stability. Furthermore, the exploration of the void reaches a new intensity in this work. Kapoor achieves the blackest black, calling viewers to reflect upon darkness within themselves on a personal level.

Kapoor’s ‘Black’ series represents the ultimate rejection of tactility in both painting and sculpture, whereby Kapoor looks to strip the viewer’s understanding of space.

Anish Kapoor debuted his groundbreaking ‘Vantablack’ series during his major exhibition across Palazzo Manfrin and Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, during the Venice Biennale (20 April - 9 October 2022).

For over half a decade, Kapoor has collaborated with Surrey NanoSystems to fuse his artistic practice with cutting edge scientific nanotechnology. Vantablack holds the award for the darkest man-made substance, absorbing up to 99.96% of visible light. The substance was originally developed for space satellite systems, and can absorb light from the UV, visible, and infrared spectrums. In 2016, Kapoor gained artistic licence for the technology, allowing him to explore darkness, interiority, and the void to new depths. Kapoor’s partnership with Surrey NanoSystems initiated the creation of a body of sculptures that gives form to the void.

Upon first glance, black sculptures appear to be two-dimensional objects on a stark white background. Reminiscent of Malevich’s Black Square, the simplicity of the sculptures provoke curiosity. Kapoor’s work requires the viewer to perform a role. Just as with When I am Pregnant (1992), the viewer gains the full effect when approaching the work from the side. The deceptive nature of the pigment technology takes hold here– protruding into space are geometric figures, invisible from a frontal view. Kapoor manipulates our understanding of reality in these works. The powerful visual distortion that the objects evoke point to principal questions that Kapoor interacts with. Just as his large-scale mirrors alter our perception of what is real, these sculptures also challenge our sense of stability. Furthermore, the exploration of the void reaches a new intensity in this work. Kapoor achieves the blackest black, calling viewers to reflect upon darkness within themselves on a personal level.

Kapoor’s ‘Black’ series represents the ultimate rejection of tactility in both painting and sculpture, whereby Kapoor looks to strip the viewer’s understanding of space.