WHAT? Antony Gormley - WITNESS Early Lead Works 

WHERE? White Cube, Mason’s Yard, 25-26 Mason’s Yard, London SW1Y 6BU 

WHEN?  Now until 8th June. Free to view, limited visits at one time 

WHY GO? For balm to the soul. It is a tad surreal, entering a vast white space with just a few large grey stones serenely spaced, but this is vintage Gormley, the award winning sculptor who makes a statement with every piece of artwork he initiates.  The stones represent a goose egg and a grenade, relics of Cold War geopolitical tensions and, as he says, “the hope of balance and some form of integration between evolution and destruction”.

This, and an upstairs gallery showing five powerful dark lead/granite figures in various states of repose invite us to reflect and dig deep into our imagination. 

It is all very transformative, as Gormley’s work gravitates towards philosophical speculation. Fans may well have seen these artworks at previous exhibitions for this small show is billed as seminal, some were created as far back as mid-1970.

There is something mesmerising about staring at each statue, the most dramatic is a crouched huddled figure deep in thought called Witness 11 from sculptures created in 1993; this image could well apply to how most of us feel about the world we are living in right now. There are only 14 artworks to view, but there is much to reflect upon. 

Pop in and mediate for a moment but time your visit carefully as the gallery can only receive a limited number of visitors at any one time.

This little ‘free’ exhibition provides an introduction to this acclaimed artist’s early mindset which thereafter took him on into global fame and glory.

IN THE KNOW Want more sculpture? Over at White Cube in Bermondsey, an exciting exhibition of works by American sculptor Richard Hunt has just opened. Called Metamorphosis - A Retrospective, it also taps into early work and spans six decades of this late artist’s sculptures, predominantly in metal. On until  29th June. Tour the gallery online video for an overview.