Sheila Hicks
VERS DES HORIZONS INCONNUS, 2023
Parvis de l'Institut de France, Paris
October 8 – 25
‘The concept of infinity embodies the column erected by Sheila Hicks on the square in front of the Institut de France.
Infinity, as a limit, is as indefinable as it is unattainable: infinity as a way of approaching the sky, infinity as a promise of unexpected discoveries and of exploring the unknown.
Just like Constantin Brancusi’s Endless Column (1938), the verticality of Sheila Hicks’ sculpture imposingly challenges space by seemingly pushing its boundaries, as if to “burst through the ceiling”—as if to directly ascend upward in the hopes of reaching an indefinable beyond.
The fibers, made up of mineral pigments from Turkey combined with acrylic, once twisted, constitute threads that build the ensemble. Through a process of added material (rather than subtracted, as often in the case in sculpture)—which also verges on the idea of advancing towards infinity—the column mixes a variety of colors, conferring on the whole an alternating character, depending on the 360-degree rotation.
In doing so, the work evolves and changes, delivering images and perceptions which also seem to be infinite.’
—Frédéric Bonnet
WATCH: Paris+ par Art Basel | Unboxing | Sheila Hicks
Standing tall in Paris’s historic Place de l'Institut is a new textile installation by Sheila Hicks. Born in the USA but a resident of Paris since the 1960s, Hicks has spent decades blurring the boundaries of fine art, design, and decoration in her work. Part of her celebrated Column series, the work has been constructed using resilient fibers that punctuate the Place with a kaleidoscope of hues. It forms a striking contrast to the architectural elegance of the adjacent Collège des Quatre-Nations. The work is located just moments from Hick’s studio and the street where she first lived when she arrived in Paris, thus weaving together the artist's personal story with the vibrancy of her artistic expression. Video produced and directed by Prismago.
To learn more about Sheila Hicks, VERS DES HORIZONS INCONNUS at Paris+ par Art Basel, click here.