Presented by the galleries Metro Pictures and Thaddaeus Ropac at Art Basel Unlimited 2018, the artwork Death Star II is a sequel to Robert Longo’s original 1993 sculpture Death Star, but more than twice as large and housing more than double the number of bullets. Longo’s work reflects the increase in mass shooting incidents in the United States in the last 25 years.
“Densely packed over the entire sphere, the gleaming bullets viscerally visualize this disturbing form of violence. The aggressive surface in combination with the sculpture’s huge mass and planet-like presence create an unavoidable confrontation with viewers. Longo gives statistical abstractions a brutal, material form, mirroring the fear and terror that continue to envelop our society and forcing viewers to consider the underlying causes of this startling turn of events.
20% of the net proceeds from the sale of Death Star 2018 will be donated to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, up to a total maximum donation of $250,000.00.” (excerpt from the info text).
Robert Longo: Death Star II (2017/18) at Art Basel 2018, Unlimited sector. Basel (Switzerland), June 8/12, 2018.
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