Anish Kapoor's Sculpture as Architecture at Palazzo Manfrin, Venice

During the 61st Venice Biennale, Anish Kapoor (Mumbai, 1954) presents a major solo exhibition at Palazzo Manfrin, a 16th-century building in Cannaregio that he purchased in 2018 and now houses his foundation. The show spans over fifty years of his practice and runs until August 8, 2026. Kapoor conceives sculpture as a form of architecture, not only in monumental scale but in how works generate physical and perceptual space, becoming architectural devices. Models and studies include the Monte Sant'Angelo metro station in Naples (opened 2025), the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower for the 2012 London Olympics, the inflatable concert hall Ark Nova (with architect Arata Isozaki for tsunami-hit Japan in 2011), and Temenos in New Zealand. The exhibition feels like a construction site within a construction site: the palazzo, still under restoration, remains visible with work tables, models, and taped photos, emphasizing process. Materials range from concrete (Ga Gu Ma, 2012) to chrome, sand, pigment, silicone, wax, and Vantablack, each generating distinct perceptual effects. Red wax and silicone works evoke flesh and viscera, while Vantablack absorbs light to create near-immaterial voids. The show is curated by Valeria Radkevych and is open until June 8, 2026.