Really Shiny Things That Don’t Really Mean Anything
Ryan Ganders Really Shiny Things That Don't Really Mean Anything (2018) is a large ball made up of a lot of shiny objects whose function is unclear. The title seems to say that the individual objects have random shapes, but also that the sculpture as a whole has no meaning whatsoever. An important nuance, however: as creator of the work, the artist consciously does not want to give a clear explanation of the meaning of the work, but he realizes that the viewers will give their own interpretation to it. He welcomes these interpretations, because he believes they contribute to his work. Gander says: "The work changes dramatically depending on the place where it is shown. And I think that is typical of all art that is in public space or outside a neutral environment such as a gallery. The same applies to the viewer: it work has a different meaning for everyone. The work therefore does not have a fixed meaning, but changes depending on the context and the audience."
According to Gander, it is inherent to humanity to like shiny things, because one becomes fascinated by one's own reflection and by a parallel reality. "It's just human nature to look at your own reflection and be intrigued by what you look like. For example, we know what Mars looks like without ever having been there. It's the tension surrounding the alien. familiar but unknown. The unattainable.”
Stainless steel and concrete base diam. 220 cm, plinth 150 x 150 x 150 cm
Really Shiny Things That Don’t Really Mean Anything
Ryan Ganders Really Shiny Things That Don't Really Mean Anything (2018) is a large ball made up of a lot of shiny objects whose function is unclear. The title seems to say that the individual objects have random shapes, but also that the sculpture as a whole has no meaning whatsoever. An important nuance, however: as creator of the work, the artist consciously does not want to give a clear explanation of the meaning of the work, but he realizes that the viewers will give their own interpretation to it. He welcomes these interpretations, because he believes they contribute to his work. Gander says: "The work changes dramatically depending on the place where it is shown. And I think that is typical of all art that is in public space or outside a neutral environment such as a gallery. The same applies to the viewer: it work has a different meaning for everyone. The work therefore does not have a fixed meaning, but changes depending on the context and the audience."
According to Gander, it is inherent to humanity to like shiny things, because one becomes fascinated by one's own reflection and by a parallel reality. "It's just human nature to look at your own reflection and be intrigued by what you look like. For example, we know what Mars looks like without ever having been there. It's the tension surrounding the alien. familiar but unknown. The unattainable.”
Stainless steel and concrete base diam. 220 cm, plinth 150 x 150 x 150 cm