Words: Alex Grunberg

3 Stars

The Zimbabwe Sculpture exhibit can be found tucked in the Meeting Point at Assembly George Square Studios. The art pieces are free to view and easy to access, with many of them available for sale for those interested in bringing a part of the international Fringe home.

The sculptures themselves are lovely and compelling. I was especially drawn to the elongated human forms, often presented nearly cleaved and then folded in on themselves, then stretched once more in a way that made the stone feel fluid. The liquidity was not only visual but thematic, as seen in a weaving and blending of form throughout the exhibit, from intertwined limbs to half-animal transformations. Throughout all the pieces, there is a playfulness paired with the surreal, and sometimes surprising uses of shape that make the familiar once more abstract.

It is unfortunate that the pieces have been set up in a rather tight location, with the many sculptures crowding each other in the small space and stacked on shelves. The art and experience would have benefited from being placed with more purpose in a space that offered the pieces more room to breathe. 

Skilful, inviting, and beautiful sculptures, but due to location and placement, a rather brief experience. 

Zimbabwe Sculpture
Assembly George Square Studios, Meeting Point at Assembly George Square
10:00
Aug 20-26