Machine River [Rio Máquina], 2008

This large-format sculpture by Brazilian artist Artur Lescher is a seminal work of his career. It consists of several layers of stainless-steel mesh suspended by hanging rods whose shape echoes that of a waterfall. It encompasses central aspects of the artist’s practice, such as his investigations of nature, and, more specifically, rivers. In this piece, Lescher problematizes the limits of gravity, while challenging notions of material and visual weight and strength. The artist also invites the audience to reflect upon dualities, the natural, and the man-made.

Artur Lescher (born 1962 in São Paulo) has investigated the tangible qualities of objects and their interaction with architecture since the 1980s. His sculptures are often subjected to the force of gravity to create a unique tension between the proportions of the space and the object. When Lescher was featured in the 1987 Bienal de São Paulo, the two zeppelins he exhibited as mirroring forms both inside and outside the windows of the pavilion made a lasting impression on many viewers. More recently, he presented two solo shows at the Palais d’léna in Paris (2017) and at Estação Pinacoteca in São Paulo (2019). Lescher lives and works in São Paulo.

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