ron mueck scales-up and stacks 100 sculpted skulls at the national gallery of victoria

beginning december 15, 2017, the inaugural national gallery of victoria triennial will open its doors to the work of over 100 creatives from 32 countries. among the artists, designers, technologists, architects, animators, and beyond is australian hyperrealist sculptor ron mueck, who is presenting his largest ever work to date. ‘mass’ is an installation of 100 individual human skull forms piled up on the gallery floor, each which engage with the architecture of the site.

above image by tom ross | main image by sean fennessey

a somber study of mortality, and an extension of mueck’s hyperrealistic sculptural practice, ‘mass’ draws from the biological structure of the skull, regarded by him as extraordinary facets of humanity. the installation brings to mind the massed remains in the catacombs of paris, an imposing wall of human heads that resonates with a simultaneous and strange sense of impermanence and eternality. in ‘mass’, mueck celebrates the form that links all humanity, and pays homage to a symbol that has stood within the art of essentially all cultures and religion. surrounded by skulls covering nearly every surface of the walls, visitors are reminded of the transience of life.

the national gallery of victoria triennial runs from now through april 18, 2018 and is a free exhibition.

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by sean fennessey

image by tom ross

image by tom ross