SCULPTURE REVIVAL
The new Norval is a space to play and pay gentle homage
Sculpture has often stood up for the grandeur of ego. But given the range and quality dominating the opening exhibitions at the new Norval Foundation premises, the three-dimensional art here suggests a more refined philosophy. Of course, no decent art museum (the new Norval is nothing if not architecturally claiming to be a mini "Modern") will be without a welcoming sculpture that states the institution’s case as forcefully as possible. And if there is any possibility of meandering to the outdoor space, statues in the garden are a must. The new building provides amply and entertainingly so. A swanky, imposing Eduardo Villa at an angle marks the glassy entrance to this fine new house for art – designed to exquisite detail and intention by DHK (modernism seems to fit art museums best). Even the title of the sculpture, The Last to Arrive, a typical black steel Villa of 1978, suggests a cheerful, humorous welcome. It’s a marker of a happy return of focus on the mastery of the great scul...
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