Leonor Antunes: the frisson of the togetherness

The Whitechapel Gallery’s new site-specific commission by Portuguese artist Leonor Antunes is the artist’s first solo exhibition in a public gallery in the UK. Antunes creates sculptures that respond to the architectural and historical context in which they are presented. Her works often reference overlooked figures in the history of Modernism, particularly female architects, artists and designers including Anni Albers, Ruth Asawa, Lina Bo Bardi, Eileen Gray and Greta Grossman. Examples of traditional craft techniques, such as hand-knotting fishing nets or the braiding of leather horse bridles, can be seen throughout the artist’s body of work.

A number of hanging and floor-based sculptures made from materials including metal, leather and rope fill the space, illuminated by lights designed by the artist. The gallery floor is covered by an enlarged geometric pattern based on a drawing by Martin, and is made of cork and linoleum. Taking the form of open grids, the sculptures serve as screens or dividers, creating layers and influencing the viewer’s experience of the space.