Sruli Recht's "LAIR" Hacks the Laws of Nature in Shenzhen
Surreal artworks processed through lava casting, bee-skin fur as well as lightning-formed glass.
Summary
- On view at the SWCAC museum in Shenzen, Sruli Recht’s “LAIR” took 15 years to make.
- Recht uses a wild range of materials, including lava casting, lightning-formed glass and even bee-skin fur across the series of art objects.
Now on view at the SWCAC museum in Shenzhen, Sruli Recht’s “LAIR” is an immersive exhibition 15 years in the making. The show ushers in a world where handmade objects were grown through the same raw processes that shape the Earth such as geological shifts and chemical reactions.
The exhibition features 68 sculptures across 11 different installations. Recht uses a wild range of materials, including lava casting, lightning-formed glass and even bee-skin fur. Staged as “ceremonial artifacts,” these pieces lure the audience through a mythic-like journey that blurs art and ritual.
To make the experience a bit more intense, the show features custom “musical architecture” by Valgeir Sigurðsson. Comparable to a film score, the music changes as you move from room to room, using deep frequencies that visitors can feel in their bodies. The sensory experience is then finished off with a series of scents created by perfumer Alex Lee and IFF. A total of 14 different fragrances were made from strange and unconventional ingredients and were used to set the mood in each space. Before leaving, visitors receive a small scent object that mirrors the final room.
“LAIR” was produced in partnership with ORENDA LTD and created by Recht, featuring narrative design by Mitch Carter Jafery, animation by Peiter Hegert, and art direction by Jarred Eberhardt. Executive management was led by Aljoscha Bolte, with the exhibition’s visual identity captured by Marinó Thorlacius.
