The Weight of Words: Language and Sculpture at Henry Moore Institute

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds presents 'The Weight of Words', an exhibition exploring the intersection of language and materiality through contemporary sculpture and poetry. Co-curated by Dr Clare O'Dowd and Nick Thurston, the show features works by 18 artists and collectives including Parviz Tanavoli, Shilpa Gupta, Slavs and Tatars, and Etel Adnan with Simone Fattal. Tanavoli's 'Standing Heech' (2007), a green fibreglass sculpture, exemplifies Persian calligraphy as sculptural form. Slavs and Tatars's 'Szpagat' (2017) challenges singular readings of language. Shilpa Gupta's 'Words Come from Ears' (2018) uses a flap-board to display unstable poetry. Shanzhai Lyric's 'Incomplete Poem (hedge)' (2023) celebrates bootleg linguistics. Issam Kourbaj's 'Dark Water, Burning World 148 moons and counting…' (2016) addresses the Syrian refugee crisis through 148 boats. Adnan and Fattal collaborate on volcanic rock inscriptions of Adnan's poem 'Five Senses for One Death'. The exhibition runs until 26 November 2023.