Hercules and Nessus #B_01 by Quayola

Hercules and Nessus #B_012020

White Carrara marble31 1/2 x 17 3/4 x 21 5/8 in / 80 x 45 x 55 cmEdition of 1, 1 AP

In Quayola's Hercules and Nessus sculpture series a large industrial robot live-sculpts endless variations of Giambologna's 1599 masterpiece of the same title. While the robot never completes the full figure, each attempt highlights new articulations of matter. The result is a hybrid vision – a slow process of discovery not focused on the original figure but on the infinite possibilities of how to reach it. Guided by a sequences of algorithms, the robot finds its way through matter using unfamiliar strategies and patterns. The original artist’s hand and unique craftsmanship are eclipsed by the truly disinterested intelligence of the machine and a surplus of viable possibilities. This work is part of the of the ongoing series Sculpture Factory, which focuses on classical sculpting via robotic means. Inspired by Michelangelo’s technique of non-finito (the unfinished), the installation explores the tension between form and matter, real and artificial, old and new.

Marble Sculpture

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Hercules and Nessus #B_01 by Quayola, 2020