
Pace is pleased to present an exhibition of wall-mounted, free-standing, and suspended sculptures by Joel Shapiro.
Foregrounding the artist’s ongoing exploration of the relationships between colour, form, scale, and material, the show will be on view from July 21 to 31.
The recent works in wood and one in bronze constituting the artist’s upcoming East Hampton presentation expand upon his longstanding experimentation with his chosen materials and continue his preoccupation with sculpture’s capacity to alter one’s sense of space and scale. The way Shapiro’s works engage architecture and landscape has always been of great interest to the artist, and the group of sculptures included in his forthcoming exhibition exemplify his ability to activate the entirety of a gallery and make the viewer aware of their own physicality. Whether suspended from the ceiling, projecting from the wall, or rising from the floor, these works, whose precarious joins underscore their own fragility and lightness, present gravity as an essential aspect of sculpture. Painted in tones that range from subtle to somber to brilliant—and imbued with a sense of spontaneity essential to their construction—these sculptures reflect colour’s important role in Shapiro’s esteemed career and his ceaseless engagement with the possibilities of sculptural form.
Joel Shapiro (b. 1941, New York) is an artist of international prominence. He has executed more than thirty commissions and publicly sited sculptures in major Asian, European and North American cities and has been the subject of more than 160 solo exhibitions and retrospectives internationally. In his recent investigations of the expressive possibility of form and colour in space, the artist suspends painted wooden elements from the ceiling, wall, and floor, exploring the projection of thought into space without the constraint of architecture. In 2011, the artist energized the monumental forty-three foot-tall gallery at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany with fifteen vibrantly painted wooden elements.





A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.
Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.
Learn more about Ocula Magazine
Showcasing the best of the art world.
Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.
Learn more about Ocula Membership
Specialises in the sale of major artworks.
Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.
Learn more about our team and services