British sculptor Antony Gormley discusses his solo exhibition "What Holds Us" at Galleria Continua in San Gimignano, on view from 9 May to 13 September 2026. The show transforms the gallery's former cinema-theatre into an interactive environment where visitors are invited to crawl through massive cardboard bodies, exploring interior spaces and shifting from passive spectatorship to bodily engagement. Gormley explains that the title connects "hold" and "whole," suggesting that being held—by the ground, the womb, or the body—is essential for growth and wholeness.
The exhibition matters because it represents a significant evolution in Gormley's practice, moving from containing space to inviting people into it, and using sculpture as a tool to change rather than merely depict the world. By incorporating perishable materials like cardboard—ubiquitous in the age of online shopping—and encouraging viewers to lower their horizon and crawl, Gormley challenges conventional museum behavior and redefines the relationship between artwork, architecture, and audience. The show underscores contemporary concerns about sustenance shifting from physical food to information, and the growing recognition that information alone is insufficient.