Momentary Monumentality - Kevin Francis Gray at Rudolph Tegner Museum & Statue Park
Dive into a world of temporary monumentality at Tegner Museum, where Irish sculptor Kevin Francis Gray challenges traditional notions of monuments and humanity's place in the universe with his work "Momentary Monumentality."
Sculptural Reflection
Through a blend of physically impressive sculpture and profound themes, you are invited to reflect on the fragility of life and the yearning for transcendence. Also experience Gray's "Family Series," which explores relationships and identity through six unique sculptures.
Kevin Francis Gray's sculpture challenges the boundaries of death
In the museum's central octagonal room, the work "Momentary Monumentality," also known as "Purgatory," by Irish sculptor Kevin Francis Gray (b. 1972) is exhibited.
Carefully placed above Rudolph Tegner's gravestone so that the epitaph is still visible, stands a mastodon in the form of figures on a colossus, stretching towards the ceiling, 11 meters above.
As the subtitle suggests, the work depicts the moment when the dying find themselves between heaven and hell, caught in a limbo between earthly life and eternity. The soul does not yet know which way it will go. At the same time, the work stretches towards the light, which Rudolph Tegner intensely worked with in the surfaces, postures, and as a fundamental idea of his sculptures.
In this way, Kevin Francis Gray creates a connection with Rudolph Tegner both physically and spiritually, as a meeting between past and present. As visitors, we can move under the work and become physically part of the space that the work creates.
The work is temporary and stands here at Tegner Museum to be part of the space for a short period. Despite its impressive presence at the moment, there is an underlying fragility and transience that reflects the complex nature of art and humanity.
Art historian Helen Carey points out in the accompanying catalog that Kevin Francis Gray invites the viewer into a world of movement and emotional energy, which can feel both hopeful and despairing in its deep longing for freedom and transcendence.
"Momentary Monumentality" is a thought-provoking exhibition that challenges our notions of monuments, fate, and humanity's place in the universe.
The exhibition also includes 6 sculptures under the title "Family Series," of which 5 are made of plaster and one of marble. These explore themes of relationships, identity, and belonging and are exhibited in the museum's foyer.