Siobhán Hapaska's Suspended Sculptures at Douglas Hyde Gallery Explore Tension and Ambiguity
At the Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin, Siobhán Hapaska showcased an exhibition featuring two 3D-printed animal sculptures: Salvator Mundi (2023) and Medici Lion (2023). The Medici Lion, measuring four meters in length, is a suspended replica of an ancient marble statue, resting on fragments of marble to illustrate the destructive nature of power. Meanwhile, Salvator Mundi portrays a dog in a gasmask and wheelchair, playing with a glass ball. Both pieces were crafted from milky polylactic acid. The lion installation incorporated ambient sounds from Westminster Abbey during the public mourning of Queen Elizabeth II. This exhibition, which ran from 1 December 2023 to 10 March 2024, delved into themes of power, fragility, and survival within constrained organic nature.
Key facts
- Siobhán Hapaska exhibited at Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin
- Exhibition featured two major 3D-printed animal sculptures: Medici Lion and Salvator Mundi
- Medici Lion is a four-metre-long recreation suspended by straps above the floor
- Salvator Mundi depicts a bandaged dog in a gasmask and canine wheelchair
- Both works created primarily from milky polylactic acid using 3D printing
- Exhibition ran from 1 December 2023 to 10 March 2024
- Medici Lion installation included ambient noise from Westminster Abbey during mourning for Queen Elizabeth II
- Hapaska's work explores themes of material stress, physiological strain, and sustained tension
Entities
Artists
- Siobhán Hapaska
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Ferdinando I
Institutions
- Douglas Hyde Gallery
- Westminster Abbey
Locations
- Dublin
- Ireland
- Tuscany
- Italy