Arik Levy’s Unnatural History

The contrast between the curves and the geometry in Arik Levy’s sculptures make them as sensuous as they are cerebral. And now, in the first museum exhibition of his work in American soil, the Baker Museum in Naples is presenting a series of sculptures and outdoor installations under the umbrella of Unnatural History.

The tongue-in-cheek title for the exhibition points to the natural history museums around the world, with pieces that lead us to the origins of the planet and life in it. Levy wants his visitors to, instead, experience the unnatural quality of what’s to come. “My intention within this setup of works is to allow the visitors to self-perform a journey to ‘the center of the earth’ of the future, the way I see it,” he explains. “These artworks are only there to be used as a jumping board and sprouts of connections to a large number of interpretations that put together the evolution, as well as results and reflections, of what one can call contradictions.”

In keeping with the natural history motif, some of his pieces evoke minerals, arboreal structures and rocks. For example, the mirrored RockGrowth 370 is placed in the entrance of the Baker as a reflection of the current and potential artistic offerings at Artis-Naples.

As Levy explains, “it is not a collection of objects but a set-up of doors to new places we have yet to go. Each piece connects to the others and each ensemble makes the statement stronger in preparation of the future to come.”

Unnatural History is on display until January 7