No. 670 Mesh Installation

No. 670, Mesh Installation,(2016) was originally made for an exhibition at Parasol Unit in London and then at the Sainsbury Centre in 2017. Constructed from a series of coloured modular architectural components, the work is reconfigured by the artist each time and is capable of expansion or contraction depending on the available space. The work transforms the gallery for the spectator and creates an immersive sensory and participatory environment.

The components are coded in three separate colours – red, grey and yellow. These pure hues are not mixed in the production but rather Begum uses components of a single colour. When the work is installed in the gallery, Begum places components in relation to each other so that light passing through mixes the colours in the eye of the spectator. This activates an array of colour sensations, some intentional whist other unexpected that can change dramatically as the spectator moves through the gallery space.

Rana Begum’s (b. 1977) practice blurs the boundaries between sculpture, painting and architecture. It has a transformative, sensory and immersive quality. She creates works, which are crystalline, pure and hard-edged, imposing order and structure. Although often described as ‘post-minimal’ her formal language is a form of visual poetry, full of wonder and delight. Her work requires the spectator to invest time in occupying the gallery space and to allow the experience to transcend everyday distractions.

Her working practice engages with the urban fabric and the built environment. Space, light and colour are her raw materials. To enhance these three essential elements, she uses industrial, often ready-made, modular components. Her works are constructed as repeated units and grids, in systemised arrangements. They are titled as numbers in sequential order. The repetition of motifs is strongly associated with modernism and industrialised cities.

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