Anish Kapoor to Debut Vantablack Sculptures at Venice Gallerie dell'Accademia in 2021

Anish Kapoor will present the world's first sculptures made with Vantablack at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice during the 2021 Biennale. Vantablack, produced by Surrey NanoSystems, absorbs 99.96% of light and was originally developed for military stealth aircraft. Kapoor acquired exclusive rights to the pigment in 2016, sparking controversy in the art world. In 2019, artist Stuart Semple launched a Kickstarter to create a blacker pigment available to all artists except Kapoor. Despite this, Kapoor remains the sole user of Vantablack. The application process is highly technical, requiring a reactor; Kapoor describes particles rising like velvet, trapping light to create works that appear dimensionless. Transporting the pieces to Venice is challenging as they cannot be touched by human hands. The exhibition will also include Kapoor's blue and red 'void' sculptures that won the Turner Prize in 1991 and were shown at the British Pavilion at the 1990 Venice Biennale.