Adam 1995

Curator: Here we have Didier Vermeiren's "Adam," a work residing here at the Tate Collections. Editor: It gives the impression of geological strata, but obviously artificial. The horizontal layers create a powerful sense of compression. Curator: Right. The artist is interested in the process of construction, using simple materials to explore the act of making. The repetition of forms suggests industrial production methods. Editor: And yet, the roughness of the material subverts any sense of slick perfection. The layering also evokes architectural models, a kind of deconstructed blueprint. Curator: Precisely. Vermeiren is consciously playing with the notion of sculpture as both object and process. Editor: I find that tension compelling. It makes you consider the relationship between the idea and its physical manifestation. Curator: Indeed, reflecting on the interplay between concept and creation, we can see the multiple levels of meaning embedded in what at first may appear as a simple form. Editor: It’s a good point—it is not just the thing itself but the story it tells.