Exploring Human Form in Structure at Galleria Continua
In the historic town of San Gimignano, inside the Galleria Continua, Antony Gormley redefines the human body within a cityscape in his latest exhibition, What Holds Us. From May 9th to September 13th, 2026, visitors walk through an immersive experience that questions the permanence of the built world. This place, with its 14th-century roots, serves as the perfect backdrop for a show exploring fragility and strength through stone, clay, and cardboard.
Innercity: Anatomy Reimagined as Architecture
At the heart of the gallery, the Innercity installation unfolds. Constructed from fifteen monumental cardboard ‘body buildings,’ these structures invite exploration and introspection. They create labyrinthine pathways, emphasizing anatomy as architecture. The use of cardboard—a material known for its ubiquity and lightness—adds an element of global familiarity and fragility amid the solid medieval setting of San Gimignano.
Sculptures of Earth and Iron: Testing Structural Norms
Beyond the cardboard cityscape, Gormley employs stone, clay, concrete, and iron to challenge traditional perceptions of stability. His Basalt Blockworks lean precariously against the gallery’s ancient walls, while the terracotta Slabworks enlarge human figures to immense proportions. Meanwhile, Skew II, a concrete Bunker at the crux of a collapsed tower, invites viewers to peek into its shadowy interior, maintaining a dance between heaviness and tension.
Thresholds: Drawing and Sculpture in Dialogue
Gormley’s recent drawings complement his sculptures by capturing the play of light and shadow. These pieces explore thresholds and apertures, echoing the physical sensations of navigating the gallery. Positioned against the stunning Tuscan landscape, the sculptures shift focus from enclosed space to expansive outdoor vistas, challenging our perceptions of material solidity and architectural fragility.
Reimagining Bodies and Worlds
“As a sculptor, I speak in the language of stuff: matter, in the belief that all matter has meaning,” Gormley explains. Through What Holds Us, he seeks to reimagine both body and world, encouraging viewers to see their surroundings anew. This exhibition, much like the crafted environments we inhabit, poses profound questions about the often fragile structures we rely on.
Image credits: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio, courtesy of the artist and Galleria Continua.
Source: designboom.com