Art Detail | Ilham Gallery
Divina Proportione
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Divina Proportione
2015

Artist, architect, poet, activist Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, China) is one of the most influential figures in contemporary art and cultural practice today. Divina Proportione (2015) at ILHAM Tower is the first permanent public sculptural work of his to be installed in Southeast Asia. An expression of mathematical elegance and beauty, the work reflects the artist’s long standing engagement with form and its significance. Its title alludes to Luca Pacioli’s book on mathematical proportions and their applications to geometry, visual art and architecture, published in 1509, with drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, including images of various polyhedrons. For the sculptures at ILHAM Tower, the polyhedron forms which are constructed of bronze parts, polished to a “rose” finish and assembled using stainless steel joints, take on a more modern industrial aesthetic, forming a conversation with the high-tech architecture of this new building in Kuala Lumpur’s urbanscape.

Details
Medium:
Bronze and stainless steel
Dimension:
Dimensions variable
Date:
2015
Credit Line:
Collection of ILHAM Foundation
Copyright:
© Ai Weiwei
About Ai Weiwei

Artist, architect, poet, activist Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, China) is one of the most influential figures in contemporary art and cultural practice today. Divina Proportione (2015) at ILHAM Tower is the first permanent public sculptural work of his to be installed in Southeast Asia. An expression of mathematical elegance and beauty, the work reflects the artist’s long standing engagement with form and its significance. Its title alludes to Luca Pacioli’s book on mathematical proportions and their applications to geometry, visual art and architecture, published in 1509, with drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, including images of various polyhedrons. For the sculptures at ILHAM Tower, the polyhedron forms which are constructed of bronze parts, polished to a “rose” finish and assembled using stainless steel joints, take on a more modern industrial aesthetic, forming a conversation with the high-tech architecture of this new building in Kuala Lumpur’s urbanscape.

Learning Section
  • Imagine you are describing this work to someone who can't see. Describe the shapes, patterns and colours that you see. Can you tell what the work is made of from the photo? If you were to touch it, how would it feel? Can you tell how big it is? Can you tell how heavy it would be? What do the shapes remind you of?

  • People often consider art and maths to be opposites but many great minds have explored both maths and art. What skills do you think are needed for both disciplines? Where do the subjects overlap? Architecture is often given as an example of a discipline that requires both subjects. Can you think of any other professions that require both?

  • This is a public sculpture that is displayed outside the gallery. Do you think people treat art differently when it is not in a gallery? What other sculptures have you seen? How do people interact with it? What are the advantages for the artist of having a piece in a public space? What are the disadvantages?