One of the keys to interpret Inmensa (1982-2002) is precisely in its title: at the same time the Latin expression in mensa means ‘over the table,’ its sound recalls the term immense, a reference to its height of eight meters. This work by Cildo Meireles is a version based on the homonymous piece created in 1982, yet this time with modifications as to its shape and material – at first, it was made of wood. The weathering steel sculpture imposes itself not only in regards to the landscape, but also to the spectator’s body.
The structure is composed of tables and chairs of different sizes and proportions, superposed like modules. Going against the constructive logic, here the smaller and lighter pieces hold the bigger and heavier ones. Such dynamic provokes a reflection on notions of hierarchy and balance, concepts originally hailing from physics, yet expanded in this work towards a reflection on art and social or power structures.
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