Sculpture as a Form of Architecture: Happening at the Foundation of Super Artist Anish Kapoor in Venice

Anish Kapoor has opened a major solo exhibition at Palazzo Manfrin in Venice, a 16th-century building he purchased in 2018, now home to his foundation. The show, running until August 8 during the 61st Venice Biennale, spans over fifty years of his practice, featuring models, studies, and installations that blur the line between sculpture and architecture. Works include the Monte Sant'Angelo metro station in Naples, the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower for the 2012 London Olympics, the inflatable concert hall Ark Nova, and the environmental installation Temenos. The palazzo itself remains under restoration, with exposed construction elements and workspaces visible, reinforcing the exhibition's theme of continuous transformation.

This exhibition matters because it reframes Kapoor's monumental practice not merely as large-scale sculpture but as a form of inhabitable architecture and collective experience. By staging the show in a partially restored historic palace, Kapoor emphasizes process over completion, inviting viewers into a dialogue between past and present, material and space. The display of architectural models alongside finished works underscores how Kapoor's art functions as infrastructure and environment, challenging traditional boundaries between sculpture, architecture, and urban planning. The show also highlights Kapoor's ongoing engagement with Venice, a city where he has previously exhibited at the Biennale and the Palazzo Grassi.