All images are copyrighted and courtesy of Cucumber Mag and the photographer
The inspiration behind the group exhibition SHINE ON stems from Alex Da Corte’s The Last House on The Left (2022), part of his ‘Cel Painting’ series. This work references a playful mural from Jo Skymer Lighting in Pennsauken, New Jersey, now painted over. In homage, SHINE ON transforms the Davies Street gallery into a vibrant lamp supply shop, showcasing sculptural lights by contemporary artists.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
Throughout art history, lamps have intrigued artists for their blend of functionality and anti-functionality. Iconic examples by Alina Szapocznikow, David Hammons, Felix Gonzales-Torres, Pablo Picasso, and Martin Creed explore themes of class, race, gender, and desire. The exhibition, SHINE ON, highlights how modern sculptural lamps can be both conceptual and playful, enhancing mood, defying architectural norms, and challenging traditional design.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
Featured works include:
- Martin Boyce’s A Forest (I) (2009): Inspired by 1925’s ‘Concrete Trees’ from the ‘Exposition des Arts Décoratifs’ in Paris, this piece hangs suspended from the ceiling.
- Catharine Czudej’s heart-shaped chandelier: Created with hanging lava lamps, this new piece humorously inverts the familiar.
- Alex Da Corte’s After Play (2023): This edition scatters five spherical emoticon bulbs on the gallery floor, blending consumer culture with modern design.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
- Cerith Wyn Evans’s After image Neon (2023): Continuing his neon work since 1994, this piece uses electrified glass tubes to draw in space.
- Urs Fischer’s Clouds (2002): A floating sculpture whose attached shadows add a surreal, playful touch.
- Peter Fischli’s Untitled (2024): A ‘signal’ sculpture with a low-lying main body, untethered wires, and a non-functional bulb, marked by haphazard brushstrokes.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
- Isa Genzken’s Untitled (2006): A figurative lamp adorned with coconut fibre hair and a mound of discarded artichokes, reflecting the fragility of human existence.
- Max Hooper Schneider’s Exurbia (2023): A sculptural landscape juxtaposing intricate flora and fauna with miniature Tiffany lamps, highlighting environmental degradation.
- Martin Kippenberger’s Kippenblinky (1991): Standing lamps made from smoking pipes in resin, inspired by Venetian furnishings
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
- Cary Kwok’s Arrival (Jazz) (2017): A phallic sconce light with candlewax and resin forming a sculptural cloud.
- Jim Lambie’s Knight Time (2008): A cuboid of crushed metal armour and furniture, adorned with multicoloured festoon lights.
- Klara Liden’s industrial work: Utilizes discarded containers and industrial materials to signal urban architecture.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
- Sarah Lucas’s Mary (2012): A female body sculpture made from found objects with symbolically placed lightbulbs.
- Kaspar Müller’s latest lamp: Engages with industrial lighting to create mood and atmosphere.
- Paulina Olowska and Jessica Segall’s chandelier (2023): Features ceramic and handblown glass vegetation forming a whimsical micro-environment.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
- Jorge Pardo’s 2017 lamp: Sinuous laser-cut plastic resin lines question the distinctions between fine art and design.
- Jessi Reaves’s Fix anything by routine (2023): Explores the intersection of functionality and aesthetic design using furniture.
- Franz West’s Große Lampe (2005): Blends art and functional design with ease.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
- Fred Wilson’s Oh! Monstruosa Culpa! (2013): A black glass chandelier inspired by Shakespeare’s Othello, reflecting on history and race.
- Anicka Yi’s 2019 pendant spheres: Upholstered with leather-like kelp, these lamps emit a golden glow with animatronic insects inside.
‘Shine on’, Exhibition view, Sadie Coles HQ gallery, London, 2024
