Alma Zevi has developed a book offering an intimate and definitive account following the career of Swiss sculptor, painter, and architect Not Vital. This comprehensive book delves into Vital's pomading life, seeking and building homes in various cities, from Paris, New York, Beijing, and Rio de Janeiro. The book explores the artist's seminal sculpture practice and architectural projects, featuring a catalog of over 450 sculptures and related works. Drawing on archival material and personal interviews with the artist, Zevi seeks to provide a portrait of his career to date.
Famous for designing the Bataan Chapel in the Philippines, Not Vital has claimed that he "likes to build his own habitat." Throughout the years, he has experimented with different mediums to create varying habitats with diverse outcomes. In Niger, he built a house whose sole purpose was to watch the sunset. Throughout Zevi's book, different themes are explored, such as how nature, folklore, and identity manifest in Vital's diverse body of work. Spanning sculpture, architecture, drawing, printmaking, and painting, the author brings various chapters of his career to life.
The book also examines Vital's nomadic life and highlights his studio's various international locations. Starting in 2000, architecture became a central element of Vital's practice, illustrated by the expansion of his Sculpture Park in the Swiss Alps, the marble island in Patagonia, a chapel in the Philippines, and more recent projects in the Bazilian Amazon and Indonesia. Through this comprehensive exploration of his work, Zevi demonstrates why Vital is considered one of the leading and most radical voices in the contemporary world.
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Chromasonic: An immersive Renaissance of California's Minimalist Light and Space MovementTracing his practice from Switzerland, New York, Italy, Niger, China, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, Zevi reveals how Vital's work is multidimensional. Deeply intertwined with his personal life and the places he has inhabited, the book was released in 2023 and included an international launch at Serpentine in the United Kingdom.
At specific scales, sculpture can transcend the boundaries of architecture, merging creativity with structural function and placemaking. Last month, renowned sculptor and artist Richard Serra passed away. His groundbreaking works offered viewers a unique experience, inviting them to navigate through his imposing forms, which explore space, materiality, and the site. Additionally, in Toronto, Winter Stations has just unveiled the winning designs for the tenth edition of its festival. Reinventing installations from previous editions, the event invites designers to reimagine the lifeguard stations along Toronto's east-end beaches. Finally, Anish Kapoor's first permanent artwork in New York City was recently revealed to the public.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on May 16, 2024, and updated on October 2, 2024.
