Anish Kapoor to celebrate Liverpool Cathedral centenary
Visionary British Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor is set to hold his first solo show in a UK cathedral this summer as he helps Liverpool Cathedral mark its centenary year.
Monadic Singularity, which opens on August 10, is also the first major show the 70-year-old has staged in the city in more than 40 years.
The exhibition promises to transform the Grade I listed building’s spaces, bringing together his practice from the past 25 years and offering the opportunity to experience a selection of Kapoor’s monumental works in dialogue with the cathedral’s incredible gothic architecture.
They include architecturally scaled works never before seen in the UK such as Sectional Body Preparing for Monadic Singularity (2015).
In an era of digital distractions, Kapoor’s artworks invite audiences to pause, reflect, and connect with deeper spiritual dimensions, echoing the cathedral’s daily explorations of faith and existence.
Elisa Nocente, Head of Cultural Programme at Liverpool Cathedral and curator of the exhibition, says: “It’s an honour that Anish Kapoor has chosen to collaborate with Liverpool Cathedral in this landmark year.
“As one of the leading figures in contemporary art, he distinguishes himself by a unique visual language that embraces painting, sculpture, and architectural forms.
“Provoking both wonder and uneasiness, Kapoor’s artworks transcend their materiality; we hope that they will resonate on a deeply physical and emotional level for our audiences.”
Above: and top Anish Kapoor's Sectional Body Preparing for Monadic Singularity, 2015. Photos by D Saulnier.
The exhibition is being supported by Culture Liverpool and the Liverpool BID Company, as well as the cathedral’s partners Lisson Gallery and Boodles and other funders.
Director of Culture Liverpool, Claire McColgan, said: “Over the past few years it has been fantastic to see how Liverpool Cathedral has solidified its reputation as a venue to showcase the work of some of the world’s most respected artists in a unique and unforgettable way.
“Culture Liverpool is delighted to work in partnership with the cathedral team to secure this culturally significant Anish Kapoor exhibition which is a huge coup for the city.”
Exclusive ticketed late-night viewings will be held on Thursday, August 15 and Thursday, August 22.
Above: The interior of Liverpool Cathedral looking towards the Well and Tracy Emin's sculpture
Born in Mumbai, India in 1954, Anish Kapoor has lived and worked in London since studying sculpture at Hornsey College of Art and Chelsea College of Art in the mid-1970s. In recent years he is dividing his time between studios in London and Venice.
His works are permanently exhibited in the most important collections and museums around the world from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the Tate in London, the Prada Foundation in Milan and the Guggenheim Museums in Venice, Bilbao and Abu Dhabi.
He represented Great Britain at the 44th Venice Biennale in 1990 where he was awarded the Premio Duemila Prize.
In 1991 Kapoor won the Turner Prize and has gone on to receive numerous international awards and honours.
Also renowned for his architecturally scaled works, public projects include Cloud Gate (2004) at Millennium Park, Chicago, Leviathan (2011) exhibited at Monumenta, Paris, France, Orbit (2012) at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London; Descension (2014) most recently installed in Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York, (2017) and the soon to be completed Traiano and Universitá Monte St Angelo Metro Stations, Naples, Italy (2002–24).
His last large-scale solo exhibition in Liverpool was in 1983 at the Walker Art Gallery.
Monadic Singularity is at Liverpool Cathedral from August 10 to September 15. More details, and tickets for the late-night viewings, HERE