Event Horizon 2007

Curator: Antony Gormley’s site-specific installation "Event Horizon," first presented in 2007, consists of multiple life-size figures placed on rooftops and buildings. Editor: It looks solitary. And slightly unnerving, honestly. A figure perched so high up against the skyline… are those actually sculptures, or just people out there? Curator: They are indeed sculptures! Gormley's figures are made of cast iron, meticulously crafted. Their placement encourages us to contemplate the relationship between the human body and the urban landscape. The project has appeared in various cities across the world, raising questions about our place within an ever-changing urban environment. Editor: That material choice, cast iron, feels significant. It connects the industrial past to this modern, somewhat anonymous cityscape. I'm thinking about the foundries, the labor that went into each figure. And the sheer weight! Getting them up there must have been a feat of engineering. Curator: Absolutely. The industrial process is integral to understanding the artwork. Gormley is deliberately drawing on that history. Think about how these works play with visibility, public space, and individual perception. There were, of course, controversies surrounding the work when first installed, especially considering the figures were posed in a similar stance. Editor: Yes, the height creates tension – are they standing there looking out, or contemplating something more final? But by using sculptures rather than real people, it frames the question within an artistic, rather than immediately social or psychological, realm. It directs the emotional labor of concern onto the object and then, reflecting back onto us. It's clever. Curator: I agree. And seeing the sculptures change over time depending on the atmospheric conditions shifts our perception of the materiality too. That fixed object suddenly seems fragile. Editor: That’s an interesting point. Well, "Event Horizon" certainly gives us a lot to think about. I appreciate how Gormley blends art, urban planning, and even a touch of existential dread. Curator: Indeed, and it's interesting to examine how the meaning of this installation continues to evolve depending on the urban setting where it’s erected.