Axel Vervoordt Gallery is immensely proud to present a new exhibition by the well-established Ghanean artist El Anatsui. The exhibition presents five new bottle-cap works, coming directly from his studio in Tema, near Accra, Ghana. It’s the fourth solo exhibition of Anatsui at the Axel Vervoordt Gallery, since his collaboration at Artempo. Where Time Becomes Art with the huge installation of Fresh and Fading Memories I-IV on the façade of Palazzo Fortuny in Venice in 2007. It’s the first gallery exhibition worldwide since his monumental installation for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, Behind the Red Moon, created in 2023.

With this new body of work, Anatsui continues to redeem industrial detritus into forms of astonishing beauty—works that are at once sensuous and sharp, celebratory, critical and contemporary ecological. His art transforms the remnants of postcolonial economies into something luminous and alive: a powerful meditation on history, material, and transformation.

Ann Leda Shapiro’s art is a vibrant exploration of feminism, nature, and the subconscious. Over many decades, she has examined elements of personal history, activism, and healing, weaving these stories together through paintings, which are simultaneously mystical, magical, and perplexing. Her work focusses on a universal exploration of the nature of being and identities of self.

Shapiro spent her formative years studying art-making techniques and exploring the vast collections of the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Providing additional insights into her art and ways of seeing are her experiences in the countercultural movements of the 1960s, which sought to heighten consciousness and counter injustice in the art world. Shapiro’s art has always reflected her thoughtful study of human existence and a deep engagement with the world around her.

In this debut exhibition with the gallery, Shapiro’s works serve as portals into a richly layered universe where personal and collective histories intertwine. Through luminous colours and symbolic imagery, she invites us to reflect on the interwoven forces of nature, the human body, and the subconscious mind—a space where art and healing merge.

Axel Vervoordt Gallery is pleased to present an installation of works by Bosco Sodi, which feature various elements of the artist’s practice. Centrally installed in the space known as Ma-ka, visitors first encounter a clay sphere. Sodi refers to these sculptures as “perfect bodies”. The sphere radiates an immaculate stillness, a timeless and almost living presence. With his clay works, Sodi continues to build on an oeuvre in which mystery and contemplation play a central role. His cubes and spheres are made of mud and clay and fired using traditional techniques at his Casa Wabi Foundation alongside Mexico’s Oaxacan coast. While many artists strive for control over every detail, Sodi embraces the unpredictable, making nature an unrestrained collaborator in his creative process—each piece a singular, unrepeatable work. Though the human inception is clear, nature is omnipresent.

Otto Piene’s White Cube is a mesmerizing light sculpture that transforms the gallery into a dynamic and ethereal environment. The interplay of light and shadow evokes a sense of motion and fluidity, creating a space that is both expansive and immersive.

For Piene, light was more than an aesthetic element; it was a symbolic force capable of transforming perception. His work expands the viewer’s awareness, allowing them to experience space in a new and liberating way. White Cube stands as a testament to his lifelong fascination with light, energy, and their profound impact on human perception.

Vassilakis Takis’s work delves into the invisible energies that shape our universe, transforming magnetism into a tangible artistic experience. Two of his key pieces, Boule Électromagnétique (1962–1968) and Magnetic Wall (2000), exemplify his radical approach to art, where forces such as magnetism take on an active role in shaping space and perception.

In Boule Électromagnétique, Takis makes magnetic energy visible through kinetic elements that respond to their environment, creating an ever-changing relationship between space and movement. Similarly, Magnetic Wall draws attention to the subtle but powerful interactions of magnetic energy, subtly shifting the viewer’s perception of their surroundings.

A visionary artist exploring migration, memory, and materiality, Kimsooja redefines painting through immersive installations. Meta-Painting transforms raw linen and Bottari fabric bundles into a meditation on creation, while Thread Routes II links weaving, architecture, and human movement. Blurring boundaries between disciplines, her work unveils the poetic interplay of textile, space, and labor, offering a profound reflection on transformation.

Axel Vervoordt Gallery was founded in January 2011 by Boris Vervoordt. As a strong supporter of the ZERO and Gutai art movements from its inception, Axel Vervoordt Gallery’s vision has gradually evolved into contemporary art with a special interest in the concept of the void, space and time. They focus on art that puts the creative process first and provide a neutral platform for artists with whom they’ve created a valuable and intense relationship. In 2014 they expanded to Hong Kong, to further bridge artistic expressions between the East and the West.

During Antwerp Art Weekend, Axel Vervoordt Gallery will be open from 12:00-18:00 each day.