Nikola Ukic
December 3, 2010 – February 18, 2011
Nikola Ukic’s artistic approach lies in the fusion of sculpture, photography, and performance. To achieve this, Ukic pours his preferred working material—polyurethane—onto films that he has previously designed with image motifs. As the polyurethane unpredictably expands across this flexible negative, it bonds with the applied imagery during the hardening process. The result is a sculptural form that simultaneously becomes an image carrier.
In contrast to the classical sculptural process, where the sculptor defines the form in detail, here the shape emerges from a dialogical process between sculptural movement and the unpredictable expansion behavior of the polyurethane. The final works consist of larger-than-life, shell-like twists loosely interwoven with one another. Viewers are confronted with an interior shaped by air bubbles and defined by the nature of the material, while the smooth exterior is adorned with visual motifs.
The gaze, drawn in by the physicality of the material, does not remain fixed on its properties and shapes but instead perceives a novel plastic reality—one that simulates the outside world while evoking an impression strongly connected to the sensuality of the human body.
Installation Views
