There is nothing quite like an exhibition that hits you with a simultaneous wave of awe, horror and spirituality. If you love art, the Anish Kapoor exhibition currently running at London’s Hayward Gallery is an absolute must-see.
As a longtime fan who, apart from one small-scale exhibition at the Pitshanger Gallery in Ealing, usually only encounters Kapoor’s otherworldly pieces under the umbrella of larger exhibitions, experiencing a full collection together was incredible. Stepping into the first room, you are immediately confronted by a monumental, red inflated, squashed sphere. It feels trapped, desperate to break free from the room’s confines, yet it radiates a strange, quiet stillness, like a slow-growing presence in a womb, waiting to be born.
From there, you enter my favourite room, filled with ‘depthless voids’. Featuring Kapoor’s iconic blacker-than-black shape illusions, these works explore ‘the liminal: threshold spaces linking different states of being’. Each void acts as a portal to another dimension, an alternate path, or an alternate version of yourself. While my sister and son fought off vertigo, I found a strange comfort in that emptiness, quietly meandering through my own spiritual existence.
Next comes what feels like stepping into a volcano, featuring a giant piece suspended from the ceiling and surrounded by clusters of what look like bags of birth. It is visceral and raw, carrying the powerful eruption of a new beginning. This flows seamlessly from the previous room, prompting a deeper question: after all, how many times have we risen from the ashes? Could it symbolise reincarnation?
Then comes the room I found most difficult to enter. Between the heavy scents, unsettling textures and my trypophobia, even a glimpse out of the corner of my eye was confronting. It was an intense hurdle, but it ironically sparked a profound reflection: life can often feel difficult and overwhelming, but somehow, you manage to navigate your way around it. I did… right to the exit. Hence, no photo.
The final rooms lead naturally onto the rooftop and open to a beautiful blue sky, offering a literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air after such an all-encompassing experience. In these rooms, Kapoor’s distorted mirrors reflect the illusion of the self as you weave through grotesque, entrail-like sculptures and past paintings where light either tries to force its way in (according to my sister) or desperately escape (from my perspective).
Nirvana or Moksha. This Hindu concept, referring to the freedom of the soul once it has been liberated from the endless cycles of life and death, is the only way I can truly describe the essence of this exhibition. It is a spiritual liberation through space, expertly crafted by Anish Kapoor for us to immerse ourselves in.
The Hayward Gallery is so vast, allowing every visitor to take their time and envelope themselves in these powerful sculptures and blooded colours. Ultimately, it is not abstract. It is life. Kapoor reminds us that confronting the shadows within and around us is the only true pathway to release spiritual and psychological liberation.