Galerie Forsblom has the great pleasure of presenting an exhibition of sculptures and new paintings by the Swiss artist Not Vital (b. 1948). Vital’s conceptual sculptures skirt the shifting borderland between dream and reality. He fuses abstract and figurative idioms in a harmonious, meditative union. Vital’s oeuvre expresses his respect for handcraft traditions, yet he also uses industrial production methods. His works combine reflective surfaces and natural stone, organic forms and non-organic matter. His HEAD sculptures are portraits of specific people, yet in their extreme minimalism they can be interpreted as universal portraits of the human condition.
Vital’s three-dimensional pieces are sometimes an amalgamation of architecture and sculpture. Taking a keen interest in anthropology, Vital is an avid traveler whose work integrates natural elements and expresses respect for local cultures. Working together with engineers and architects, the artist is known for creating environments that renew the functions of architecture and explore the philosophy of housing and use of space in locations as diverse as a the deserts of Niger, alpine valleys in Switzerland and a marble island in Patagonia.
Vital was active on the New York art scene in the 1980s. He was part of the Venice Biennale in 2001. His work is found in numerous major international collections including New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. He recently held his largest European exhibition to date, in May 2016 – January 2017, at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK.