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concept:era contemporary

Earth's Skin

Large-scale flexible wall installation by El Anatsui, 2007, assembled from thousands of reclaimed aluminium bottle caps and liquor-bottle seals joined with copper wire. Exemplifies the artist's signature reclaimed-metal-assemblage practice and was exhibited prominently during the 2007 Venice Biennale season.

Scholarly Significance

Anchor the African Contemporary cluster with El Anatsui's landmark metal tapestry work exhibited at the Venice Biennale 2007.

Notes

  • ·The work is assembled from thousands of flattened bottle caps sourced from Nigerian distilleries and liquor importers, referencing the colonial-era alcohol trade in West Africa.
  • ·The copper wire joins allow the surface to drape and shift; no two installations are identical, as the work is re-hung by teams at each venue.
  • ·Works from this body of practice are held in multiple major institutional collections including the British Museum (London) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York).
  • ·The title 'Earth's Skin' evokes organic, geological, and textile associations central to Anatsui's conceptual framework.