Henry Moore Institute - Paul Neagu: Palpable Sculpture

Following Leeds City Art Gallery we ventured next door to the Henry Moore Institute, and enjoyed the current exhibition, Paul Neagu: Palpable Sculpture

https://www.henry-moore.org/hmi/exhibitions/paul-neagu-palpable-sculpture

The exhibition includes a selection of work by Romanian born artist Paul Neagu (1938-2004) spanning 1968 to 1986, closing when 
he created 'Nine Catalytic Stations', a sculpture summarising his complex philosophical ideas. 



The exhibition includes sculptures, drawings, films, texts and archival material, much of which has never previously been exhibited.



The exhibition encompasses tactile boxes and edible sculptures, performances and fictional collaborators, objects and drawings. In his performances Neagu sought to defy gravity, while his works on paper are simultaneously preparatory works, documentation, assimilation and artworks. In his sculptures Neagu created systems of thought based on his understanding of the human body as a simple container, with his exhibitions conceived as dialogues 
and experiments.

Neagu graduated from Nicolae Grigorescu Institute of Fine Arts, Bucharest in 1965, where the syllabus prioritised figurative painting over abstraction and sculpture. Soon after completing his studies he turned his attention to sculpture, making tactile objects - boxes he described as being 'strange mixed media objects'. Portable and scaled to the body, these were designed to be opened, pushed and pulled - each one demanding an active encounter.