“Event Horizon” by Davide Balliano at Tina Kim Gallery
New York City
Control is the word that comes most readily to mind upon entering the Italian artist Davide Balliano’s new show at Tina Kim Gallery, “Event Horizon.” Balliano, who was originally trained in photography, draws inspiration from “the enigmatic nature of black holes” and juxtaposes of a series of marble sculptures against 11 new wall works in plaster, gesso, and varnish on linen. The work feels masterfully choreographic and results in thoughtful, room-scale compositions that reveal a deep curiosity underpinning his explorations with form, material, and perception. The forms themselves expand on shapes Balliano previously executed in stainless steel and ceramic, shown in a solo exhibition at the gallery, which was designed by the firm Charlap Hyman & Herrero. Meanwhile, his introduction of color—two sculptures, evocative of relics, are in an oxblood Rosso Laguna marble, while a throne-like work is crafted from Rosso Agadir red marble—add a welcome layer of architectural intrigue, nodding to centuries of quarrying and fabrication while appearing firmly as if they were culled from Mars. On view through October 7.
—Sean Santiago
